Roman villa unearthed thanks to report of looters

Archaeologists have unearthed an important Roman villa from the early Imperial period after looters were reported illegally excavating a site on a farm in Castel di Guido in the countryside outside of Rome. It dates to the first half of the 1st century A.D. and was in use until the 3rd century.

A of looting activity received on February 16th triggered an immediate response from Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit and Ministry of Culture officials. The site was secured and under guard by February 23rd. The looters has caused noticeable damage to the ancient remains, using mechanical diggers to cut deep trenches. Archaeologists followed up with an emergency salvage excavation, revealing the remains of a large suburban villa that likely belonged to members of the Roman aristocracy. It is close to the ancient Via Aurelia and within the area of Lorium, an imperial estate where Hadrian spent time and Antoninus Pius built a private residence in the mid-2nd century.

The excavation has uncovered room with surviving walls up to 1.5 meters (4’11”) high, geometric floor mosaics in a variety of patterns and painted plasterwork. A rectangular impluvium (a shallow pool that captured rain water through the open roof and provided evaporative cooling) in the center of one space identifies it as the atrium.

The floors around the impluvium are decorated with mosaics borders in meander and floral scroll motifs, marble inlays and threshold designs. Around the atrium are four rooms, three of which retain significant sections of mosaic floors of black and white tesserae in patterns including overlapping circles creating hexagons, simple guilloche braids and pelta shapes.

A statue in large fragments was found in the impluvium. It depicts a bearded youth carrying a basket filled with birds and fruit. Archaeologists believe the statue is depicting Silvanus, the Roman god of forests, fields and flocks. Fruit, grains and pigs were sacrificed to him to ensure the health of livestock and crops. Carved in fine white marble, the statue is of high quality, underscoring the wealth and statue of the villa’s owners.

The excavation will be open to the public on Saturday, June 20th, for guided tours, giving visitors a chance to see the new discoveries and the admire the mosaics now undergoing conservation.

* This article was originally published here