Rome Archaeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Building Near Colosseum as Firehouse Theory Emerges
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 24
Rome Archaeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Building Near Colosseum as Firehouse Theory Emerges
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 24
Summary
Five of the structure’s eight rooms have been fully uncovered in Villa Celimontana near the Colosseum, revealing mosaics and painted decoration from a second-century A.D. building.
Officials say the find may have belonged to the Fifth Cohort of the Vigiles—ancient Rome’s firefighting force—because one mosaic closely matches an example from firefighters’ barracks in Ostia.
Elaborate decoration also leaves open a rival explanation: the building could have been a private domus like others found on Caelian Hill, pending fuller study of the remains.
The superintendency said confirmation could reshape understanding of a major imperial Roman military complex, adding to a recent run of discoveries in and around Rome.