Rome, Italy-cnn It is reported that a Roman villa has been discovered in the village of Castell di Guido, which was a residential area outside Rome known as Loreum from the 27th century. BC to the fifth century Advertisement It is known that Emperors Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius visited this city. After local residents alerted police to evidence of illegal excavations, archaeologists were called to the site, which was protected by a fence. Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said, “In a matter of days, Culture Ministry officials, in collaboration with the Carabinieri, pulled off a covert operation.” So far, archaeologists have unearthed an atrium surrounded by black and white mosaic floors and an entrance hall with a sunken basin. Alessia Contino, Rome’s special superintendent of archaeologists, said a figurine in the villa holding a basket with a small animal and birds is thought to represent Silvanus, the god of the countryside. “The extraordinary quality of the decorations testifies that the villa belonged to prominent members of the Roman aristocracy, which was closely associated with the imperial court,” he said. Researchers also found damage caused by illegal digging, which was done with backhoes, picks and drills. Giuli concluded that it was not yet clear whether anything was stolen from the site. To read about the rediscovery of a Roman villa near Verona nearly a century after it was first excavated, visit “missing mosaics“
Post Imperial-era villa excavated near Rome first appeared on archeology magazine.