[Discov] Roman Emperor’s private amphitheatre unearthed
Professor Simon Keay, who led the dig, inspects cellar ruins on the site
British archaeologists have unearthed an amphitheatre that would have held 2,000 spectators at an ancient port in Italy
The team, including Rose Ferraby from the University of Southampton, also found a three-seat communal Roman toilet
A lavish Roman amphitheatre, complete with toilet, has been uncovered by British archaeologists in Italy at a site described as being of the same significance as Stonehenge.
A team led by the University of Southampton discovered an amphitheatre of a similar size to the Pantheon in Rome after two years excavating an ancient port, close to Fiumicino airport.
This is the first time that a large-scale dig has taken place at the site, known as Portus, which was discovered in the 16th century and excavated in the 1860s. Now two miles inland, it would have been twice the size of the port of Southampton and an important gateway between Rome and the Mediterranean. It is possible that it was frequented by 2nd-century emperors.
British excavators, including staff from the University of Cambridge and the British School at Rome, said that the amphitheatre was likely to have been built for the private entertainment of a senior statesman or emperor and could have held up to 2,000 spectators
Professor Simon Keay, the project director, said: “[The amphitheatre’s] design, using luxurious materials and substantial colonnades, suggests it was used by a high-status official, possibly even the emperor himself.
“The activities that took place there were strictly private: it could have been games or gladiatorial combat, wild beast baiting or the staging of mock sea battles, but we really do not know.” Archaeologists also discovered a well-preserved Roman toilet in a room made of marble near the outside wall of the amphitheatre. It is still possible to sit on the toilet, which was designed to be used by three people at a time and had holes in the front so that users could clean themselves with a brush.
Rose Ferraby, from Cambridge, who helped with the discovery, said: “We are taking out the dirt from the toilet, which is basically ancient human waste, and sampling it to find seeds and even parasites so we can build a picture of diet and the people who were here.
“Toilets also bring up good finds because people tend to lose things down them, like rings, and they are not keen to recover them.
“It’s a very important find and a total surprise but it’s also very human — everyone can relate to a toilet.”
Professor Keay is certain that the discoveries at Portus are of great historical significance. “This is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world,” he said. “Certainly it should be rated alongside such wonders as Stonehenge and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.”
source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6856042.ece
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