An important Roman temple and wealthy Roman ‘domus’ with five floor mosaics are among the finds of the sixth excavation campaign at the archaeological site of Carsulae located on the Via Flaminia in the Umbria region of central Italy.
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| Credit: Carsulae Parco Archeologico via UmbriaOn |
The latest campaign, under the direction of archaeologists Luca Donnini and Massimiliano Gasperini, has unearthed the remains of the podium of the Capitolium (the most important temple in the city, still to be excavated and restored), as well as the foundations of a ‘sacellum’ (shrine) and part of a large paved road.
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| Credit: Carsulae Parco Archeologico via UmbriaOn |
In the
North-East District, the excavation and recovery of the materials, mostly ceramics, from a large Augustan landfill in the centre of Carsulae was completed. All the finds (some thousands of fragments) have already been washed, classified, inventoried and partially studied, allowing a better understanding about the occupation of the area in the first century BC.
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| Credit: Carsulae Parco Archeologico via UmbriaOn |
Following the clearing and cleaning of the western side of the forum, the excavations moved to the southern side where, in an area of about 100 square metres never before investigated, the foundations of at least one
domus was discovered. As well as being the first discovery of a residential building in Carsulae, the finding is absolutely exceptional for the site since, again for the first time, mosaic flooring has been identified.
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| Credit: Carsulae Parco Archeologico via UmbriaOn |
By the end of the excavation, carried out between July and September, it was possible to document the presence of at least five mosaic floors, all datable to the Augustan period and therefore pertinent to the first phase of building on the site.
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| Credit: Carsulae Parco Archeologico via UmbriaOn |
The rooms identified so far are: a large atrium with a flooring in scutulatum (a sort of mosaic with black tiles with innumerable inserts of marble slabs and white calcite of various shapes and sizes); the west wing with mosaic flooring depicting a portico façade and geometric decoration in squares and rectangles in the central part; a cubicle with mosaic with geometric decoration with a gameboard pattern. Finally, an additional room possibly from a second domus has been identified. The latter, of which only a small part of about ten square metres has been excavated, measures about 10 x 10 metres and is decorated with a large mosaic depicting a wall enclosure with towers and blackbirds along the edge and a swastika in the central field.
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| Credit: Carsulae Parco Archeologico via UmbriaOn |
In October, in order to guarantee the preservation of the discoveries and to allow the completion of the investigations in next year's excavation campaign, the first restorations and consolidations were completed, as well as the initial cleaning of the mosaic surfaces. A photogrammetric survey of the entire excavation area was also carried out with the use of a drone.
Source: Umbria On [November 18, 2017]
