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Texas ISD School Guide
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Short Stories for Teachers

Ancient Treasures Unearthed in Rome
By:Mirella Patzer

It is a well known fact that in Rome, undiscovered treasures and artifacts may lie a mere 30 feet below the surface. Therefore, building an underground subway in the city of Rome is no easy feat. The dilemma is how to build without disturbing any antiquities that may lie buried and undiscovered below its spectacular roads and streets.

Compared to other European capitals, Rome's subway is far less developed. For years, Rome's 2.8 million citizens relied solely on two scant subway lines that fell short of meeting the city's transportation needs. The two lines don't even connect and they do not come near to the historical city centre. Being one of the oldest cities in the world, the construction of a subway poses many difficulties. Rome is built upon a labyrinth of tunnels, catacombs, vaults, and ancient sewer systems.

During the construction of the first two subway lines in the 1950's, each excavation exposed archaeological remains and the construction had to be stopped to allow the local archaeologists to check their significance. Alternate routes had to be thought-out and determined if the discovery proved valuable to the history of the Romans.

After years of funding shortfalls and decades of debate, work began on a third subway line. Now that the third subway line is under construction, it has been marked as an "archaeological survey" from the very beginning and great care is being taken. This new line will run through the very heart of the ancient city. It will be 24 kilometers (15 miles) in length and 25 to 30 metres (80 to 100 feet) below ground.

Finally, after many centuries, archaeologists are working together with construction workers to excavate beneath Rome's central Piazza Venezia, only a few hundred yards from the Roman Forum. Almost immediately, excavation revealed some spectacular finds. Just below the surface, excavators discovered building remnants from the renaissance that were torn down in the late 19th century.

They dug one layer deeper and this exposed Via Flamina, a medieval road that once traversed the city. And one layer below that, they discovered a herringbone pavement from the 8th century. Beneath the Piazza Venezia and near the ancient Forum, workers discovered a sixth-century copper factory. The early factory consisted of small ovens used to work on copper alloys. Small copper ingots discovered at the scene were sent for analysis.

Also discovered were the foundations of a 16th century Renaissance palace, a Roman tavern, and a medieval kitchen complete with pots and pans used to heat sauce.

Even though 38 active digs now line the subway construction, most of the digs have not reached the earth strata that date back to Roman times, where plenty of surprises may yet await discovery.

With every new discovery, officials must decide whether to remove, destroy, or preserve the artefacts and/or site within the subway's structure.

Officials deemed a Roman tavern from the Middle Ages acceptable for destruction, but they eliminated an entire subway stop near the Pantheon from after workers found the base of an imperial Roman public building. This will force tourists and citizens alike to walk further to reach the new, relocated subway stop.

Further along the tunnels, workers found a "looter's hole." During the Middle Ages, builders would tie themselves to a rope and drop down into a well-like shaft to roam the underground to collect bricks, rock, or marble from earlier centuries to use for new construction.

There isn't an inch of Rome that doesn't have some artifacts below the street. In 300 A.D., one-and-a-half million people inhabited Rome. If they were to bring to light everything they and subsequent generations owned and built, the streets of Rome would all have to be eliminated and the entire city preserved as an archaeological dig.

Like the Roman ingenuity of ancient times, Romans today have found a way to preserve the old while creating the new.

For more interesting articles about Italy or to visit the home page of author Mirella Patzer, visit http://www.mirellapatzer.com and http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com






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