British archaeologists unearth emperor

[Melvadius]

The Times reports the results of a British excavation at Portus:

 

'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....'

 

Contined at:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6856042.ece

 

N.B. there are some nice photographs with this article but I'm not sure why the toilet seats ended up vertically in the third image

 

BTW the rating of Portus as a whole as important as Stonehenge or Ankhor Wat is possibly a bit confusing but is probably more due to an archaeologistsview that it is potentially an important site which is relativley untouched with good survival of Roman period buildings and contents to also be rated as a World Heritage site.

 

EDIT - The BBC now has an article as well which includes an aerial photogrpah of the 'arena' and in my view its description reads slightly better than the Times one does - clarifying the reason for the sites importance being 'undervalued'.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283195.stm

Edited October 1, 2009 by Melvadius

[JGolomb]

The Times reports the results of a British excavation at Portus:

 

'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....'

 

Contined at:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6856042.ece

 

N.B. there are some nice photographs with this article but I'm not sure why the toilet seats ended up vertically in the third image

 

BTW the rating of Portus as a whole as important as Stonehenge or Ankhor Wat is possibly a bit confusing but is probably more due to an archaeologistsview that it is potentially an important site which is relativley untouched with good survival of Roman period buildings and contents to also be rated as a World Heritage site.

 

EDIT - The BBC now has an article as well which includes an aerial photogrpah of the 'arena' and in my view its description reads slightly better than the Times one does - clarifying the reason for the sites importance being 'undervalued'.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283195.stm

This story's getting a ton of coverage.

 

Here's Science Daily's version.

 

"Having solved one riddle, archaeologists have now uncovered another; the white marble head of a statue unearthed at the site of once-luxurious rooms close to the 'amphitheatre'. It is thought the head dates back to the 2nd or early 3rd century, however it is less clear who it depicts.

 

"The elderly bearded male wearing a flat skull-cap could suggest it is Ulysses, however it is equally possible it is a representation of one of the Greek sailors who accompanied him on his travels. For the moment his identity remains a mystery," concludes Professor Keay."

 

I'm assuming this was not found under the vertical toilets.

[Maladict]

N.B. there are some nice photographs with this article but I'm not sure why the toilet seats ended up vertically in the third image

 

Because nobody tells an emperor to put it down again?

[Melvadius]

Because nobody tells an emperor to put it down again?

 

Very likely, although possibly one should more correctly say that:

 

Because nobody dares tells an emperor to put it down again?

Edited October 1, 2009 by Melvadius

[JGolomb]

The Times reports the results of a British excavation at Portus:

 

'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....'

 

Contined at:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6856042.ece

 

N.B. there are some nice photographs with this article but I'm not sure why the toilet seats ended up vertically in the third image

 

BTW the rating of Portus as a whole as important as Stonehenge or Ankhor Wat is possibly a bit confusing but is probably more due to an archaeologistsview that it is potentially an important site which is relativley untouched with good survival of Roman period buildings and contents to also be rated as a World Heritage site.

 

EDIT - The BBC now has an article as well which includes an aerial photogrpah of the 'arena' and in my view its description reads slightly better than the Times one does - clarifying the reason for the sites importance being 'undervalued'.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283195.stm

Here's a link to the official site of the project excavators: Excavating Portus Nice video inside.

 

Here's what seems to be a new interview with the director of the Portus project, Simon Keay.

Interview: Simon Keay Explains why Portus is as Important as Stonehenge

Since some folks were questioning why this was being touted as important as Stonehenge or Angkor Wat...

BK: You mentioned in a press release that this site is as important as Stonehenge or Angkor Wat – why is that?

 

SK: There was only one imperial Rome – and imperial Rome only had one maritime port. Also because Portus can tell us so much about the development of Rome as an imperial capital, in terms of its decoration, its population, the food that was consumed, the architecture and so on. So much of that can be explained by the existence of Portus, so clearly, understanding more about it means we can understand Rome better. Therefore it must be important - it must rank highly because it's unique. There's nowhere else like Stonehenge. There's nowhere else like Angkor Wat. There's nowhere else like Portus!

Edited October 2, 2009 by JGolomb

[sylla]

Here's what seems to be a new interview with the director of the Portus project, Simon Keay.

Interview: Simon Keay Explains why Portus is as Important as Stonehenge

Since some folks were questioning why this was being touted as important as Stonehenge or Angkor Wat...

BK: You mentioned in a press release that this site is as important as Stonehenge or Angkor Wat

[JGolomb]

Here's an editorial from Mary Beard on the recent finding above. She, like many of the UNRV skeptics, has a more eyes-wide-open view of the findings:

The luxury amphitheatre at Portus

 

the bolding is mine...

Oh dear a good deal of tosh has been written about this luxury amphitheatre discovered in the 'imperial palace' at the harbour of Portus. The 'emperor's private amphitheatre' enthused the report in the Times. It was the setting for 'gladiator fights, bear baiting and even mock sea battles', suggested the Telegraph, 'probably reserved for use by emperors such as Trajan and Hadrian and their guests'. And there was plenty more along the same lines.

 

Who is responsible for all this? Well partly the excellent team of archaeologists who are currently excavating the Roman harbour installations. Public 'impact' is the order of the day for universities at the moment, and they obviously saw an opportunity to make some. But if you look carefully at what Simon Keay, the Director of the project actually said, the more extravagant claims are always qualified by 'possibly' or 'could have been', and other careful caveats (apart, that is, from his assertion that all this should "certainly .. be rated alongside such wonders as Stonehenge and Angkor Wat".... do you really mean that Simon??)

 

Maybe the Portus team was blissfully unaware of the tendencies of the genus journalisticum when it comes to archaeological discoveries. Because not many caveats are in evidence in the reporting, and most people will come away with the impression that an exclusive luxury amphitheatre, a miniature Colosseum without the rabble, has been found in the emperor's seaside palace (a useful stopping off point on the imperial trips abroad).

 

Sorry, but no.

 

The misunderstanding starts with the phrase 'imperial palace', the conventional (and very much in inverted commas) title given to a large, plush building in the harbour installations at Portus. In fact, we don't actually know what this building was for -- but the likelihood is that it was the administrative HQ of the harbour, and maybe the residence of the overseer of the place. In which case this amphitheatre may just as likely have been the place where, among other things, the boss could address the assembled workers.

 

This is in fact one of the ideas trailed by Simon Keay in the best and most sober account of the discoveries -- an interview by Bija Knowles on Heritage Key (which also back tracks a bit on the "as important as Stonehenge" claim).

[sylla]

Sub idem fere tempus et ab Attalo rege et Rhodiis legati uenerunt nuntiantes Asiae quoque ciuitates sollicitari. his legationibus responsum est curae eam rem senatui fore; consultatio de Macedonico bello integra ad consules, qui tunc in prouinciis erant, reiecta est. interim ad Ptolomaeum Aegypti regem legati tres missi, C. Claudius Nero M. Aemilius Lepidus P. Sempronius Tuditanus, ut nuntiarent uictum Hannibalem Poenosque et gratias agerent regi quod in rebus dubiis, cum finitimi etiam socii Romanos desererent, in fide mansisset, et peterent ut, si coacti iniuriis bellum aduersus Philippum suscepissent, pristinum animum erga populum Romanum conseruaret.

 

Eodem fere tempore P. Aelius consul in Gallia, cum audisset a Boiis ante suum aduentum incursiones in agros sociorum factas, duabus legionibus subitariis tumultus eius causa scriptis additisque ad eas quattuor cohortibus de exercitu suo, C. Ampium praefectum socium hac tumultuaria manu per Umbriam qua tribum Sapiniam uocant agrum Boiorum inuadere iussit; ipse eodem aperto itinere per montes duxit. Ampius ingressus hostium fines primo populationes satis prospere ac tuto fecit. delecto deinde ad castrum Mutilum satis idoneo loco ad demetenda frumenta

Edited January 1, 2010 by sylla

[JGolomb]

CNN just ran a story on Portus. Nothing new in the story, but some new photos