Hear
The Superintendency of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the city of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria, Italy, announced the recent discovery of a surprising pool of large magnitudes under an ancient school. In the vicinity of the Urban Archaeological Park, archaeologists unearthed different vestiges of the Hellenic population that settled there before the expansion of the Roman Empire to that area. The truth is that this construction It belonged to a private villa which was supplied with hot springs.
The Italian peninsula was the focus of great historical events before and after the formation of the empire; from constant battles and territorial disputes to the development of buildings that still stand. For its part, the city Vibo Valentia It was founded as Hipponion during the 7th century BC. and in 1928, the municipal authorities assigned it the name with which the Romans defined it, so its existence dates back thousands of years.
With the constant work of experts, under the scientific coordination of Dr. Michele Mazza, different elements that belonged to the Hellenes and the Romans. However, once the empire definitively occupied that area, the population began to build homes with their own cultural style. One of those characteristics within the elite, was to have a pool with hot springssomething that was also seen in a recent discovery weeks ago in Albania.
The architectural remains belong to a domus, a housing complex with a sunken pool. This developed in the continuity of the residential neighborhood in the vicinity of a school, known as Murmura.
It amazed all the archaeologists once they removed the dust and stones from it. The same It had a room with marble columns, statues and niches. In addition, its walls were covered with colored marble stones that decorated every corner. It is believed that It was located in a spa sector along with other bathrooms. Experts described it as “monumental” for its time.
This event occurred after a first excavation campaign in which 32 rooms were explored and in the subsoil they noticed the existence of a particular fill of earth and remains of foundations that helped keep the pool intact.
One of the most valuable objects removed from the depths was a sculpture of Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, the jungle and animals. This was moved to the Vito Capialbi National Archaeological Museum in the Calabrian city. It should be noted that her Roman equivalent would be the goddess Diana. At that time, people adapted the Hellenic religion to the imperial Roman one.
“The stratigraphy investigated, the finds collected and the masonry techniques of the architectural elements that we discovered, allow us to date the site to a period between the Late Republican Age -1st century BC- and the Imperial Age, between the 2nd-3rd centuries AD”detailed in a press release the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, and added: “The results of our excavation not only enrich the historical and cultural heritage of the city of Vibo Valentia, They also represent an important resource for the community and a potential attraction for cultural tourism.”
THE NATION
