ROME, ITALY—Reuters reports that excavations in Rome's Villa Celimontana Park unearthed frescoes and mosaics belonging to an important second-century a.d. building. The artworks decorated eight rooms of a monumental complex that once stood on the Caelian Hill. This was a popular neighborhood among aristocratic Romans, many of whom built their luxurious villas along its slopes. It is conceivable that the newly uncovered rooms belonged to a private residence. However, researchers think it is more likely that they were part of a sprawling military barracks that housed the Fifth Cohort of Vigiles, one of Rome’s firefighting forces. One of the mosaics unearthed in the complex depicts a dolphin, a fish, a lobster, and a crab surrounding a large two-handled vessel. This motif very closely resembles one previously discovered in a known firefighters' barracks in Ostia, the ancient port of Rome. The site’s location is also within close proximity to the Caelian aqueduct and a large water cistern, which strengthens its potential association with firefighters. If this theory is confirmed, Italian officials stated, the discovery would help scholars reconsider the extent of one of the most important military complexes of imperial Rome. To read about another second-century a.d. barracks discovered during construction on Rome's metro, go to "While You Are Waiting."
