Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a royal palace in the heart of the Italian capital which dates back to the time when the mythical twins Romulus and Remus were said to have founded the city.
Until now, legend has described how Rome was founded in 753BC by the sons of Mars, the god of war, who were found and nurtured by a wolf. Museums have had nothing but statues of the twins drinking milk from a she-wolf to symbolise the origins of the city.
While there is little evidence of the existence of Romulus and Remus, the discovery of the palace offers tantalising indications that the legend had roots in fact.
In the last month, archaeologists digging in the Roman Forum have uncovered what they believe to have been a royal palace that dates back to the period.
Andrea Carandini, a professor of archaeology at Rome’s Sapienza University, found the traces of what appears to have been a 435sq metre palace, on the spot where the Temple of Romulus stands.
The palace seems to have had a monumental entrance and ornate furniture and tiles.
Carandini, known for finding what are widely seen as the first bikinis in history in mosaics at Villa Piazza Armerina in Sicily in 1982, described the dimensions of his latest discovery as ”absolutely extraordinary”.
”It could be nothing other than the royal palace,” he said, adding that ordinary homes were about a 10th of the size.
The walls were made of wood and clay, which archaeologists tested to establish the age of the building. There were a number of covered rooms and the rest was courtyard.
Archaeologists had previously found traces of early Roman civilisation dating back to the eighth century in the same spot, next to the Sanctuary of Vesta, just outside the Palatine walls, but nothing on such a sophisticated or grand scale.
Eugenio La Rocca, the superintendent of Rome’s monuments, said Carandini’s interpretation of the ruins appeared to be accurate.
”It seems to me that what is emerging from the excavation of Carandini, who can be considered the highest authority in this field, is a very coherent archaeological reading,” La Rocca told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. – Guardian Unlimited Â