Evidence of Roman Attack Identified in Southern Italian Town

News June 24, 2025

Section of city walls uncovered during excavations, Ugento, Italy
© CNR ISPC - SABAP LE
SHARE:

UGENTO, ITALY—Italian archaeologists working in the city of Ugento uncovered sections of an extensive ancient defensive network intended to protect the city and its inhabitants from an advancing Roman army, The Kansas City Star reports. The wall was originally built in the fourth century b.c. but was significantly enhanced a century later, when its thickness grew to 20 feet wide. Near one of the corner bastions, the team encountered a destruction layer that contained 450 lead sling bullets and nine iron bolts fired from Roman scorpio machines, weapons that resembled large stationary crossbows. Researchers believe these are evidence of a Roman attack that occurred at the end of the third century b.c. The local Messapii tribe had sided with Hannibal and Rome’s nemesis Carthage during the Second Punic War, which caused Rome to retaliate and attack the settlement in 209 b.c. The walls proved no match for the Roman army, which was able to breach them and successfully take the city. During the following two centuries, the fortifications were gradually dismantled and the large stone blocks were reused in new buildings. To read about scorpio bolts and other munitions launched against the city of Pompeii around 89 b.c., go to "Weapons of the Ancient World: Siege Weapons."

  • Features May/June 2025

    A Passion for Fruit

    Exploring the surprisingly rich archaeological record of berries, melons…and more

    Read Article
    © BnF, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY
  • Features May/June 2025

    Goddess at the Crossroads

    Why a city put its trust in a Greek deity feared throughout the Mediterranean world

    Read Article
    Istanbul Archaeology Museums
  • Features May/June 2025

    Desert Paradise Found

    How a tiny, water-rich kingdom came to dominate vital trade routes in the Arabian Gulf 4,000 years ago

    Read Article
    Courtesy BACA/Moesgaard Museum
  • Features May/June 2025

    Peru’s Timeless Threads

    More than 1,000 years ago, master weavers kept the ancient traditions of the Moche culture alive

    Read Article
    Jeffrey Quilter