A tomb that was buried thousands of years ago and revered by ancient Romans as the resting place of their city’s mythical founder Romulus has now been rediscovered beneath the Forum in Rome.
The underground tomb and the temple built around it are thought to date from the sixth century B.C., according to archaeologists.
Ancient Romans believed the tomb held the remains of their city’s founder, but the stone sarcophagus that archaeologists just found inside the tomb is empty.
The underground temple — called a “hypogeum” in Greek — contains a votive altar that was dedicated to Romulus, said Alfonsina Russo, the director of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, which oversees the city’s ancient ruins.
The entrance to the tomb is hidden in the northwest of the Forum, underneath the building of the “Curia Julia,” or Senate House, Russo told a news conference in Rome today (Feb. 21). Read more.
2,000-year-old roman face cream with visible, ancient fingermarks
Preserved within a small tin canister, the cream was discovered during excavations by Pre-Construct Archaeology of a Roman temple precinct on Tabard Street, Southwark in 2003. The main constituent of the cream was animal fat mixed with starch and tin oxide.
2,000-year-old roman face cream with visible, ancient fingermarks
Preserved within a small tin canister, the cream was discovered during excavations by Pre-Construct Archaeology of a Roman temple precinct on Tabard Street, Southwark in 2003. The main constituent of the cream was animal fat mixed with starch and tin oxide.