A hypogeum or underground temple
and tomb structure with a tufa sarcophagus linked with what
looks like an altar has been discovered in the Roman Forum, the
Colosseum Archaeological Park director Alfonsina Russo said
Monday.
The space is believed to be part of a votive area called a
heroon devoted to the founder of Rome, Romulus, she said.
The sarcophagus, made out of the same tufa rock that built
the Capitol, is around 1.40 metres long and is believed to date
back to the sixth century BC, she said.
The find was made next to the Curia-Comitium complex, a few
metres away from the famed Lapis Niger, which Romans thought had
brought bad luck because it was linked to the death of Romulus,
Russo said.
She said she would present the discovery to the media on
Friday.
"This is an extraordinary discovery," Russo told reporters on
Monday.
"The forum never ceases to yield amazing fresh treasures,"
she said.
The discovery was made during a dig that "started about a
year ago to celebrate and commemorate the discoveries made by
famed archaeologist Giacomo Boni at the beginning of the 20th
century," Russo said.
The hypogeum is located below the entrance stairway to the
Curia, where Senators met to vote.
The new entrance stairs were built in the 1930s by Alfonso
Vartoli.
Russo said that scholars believe the altar to have been
placed on the spot where ancient Romans believed Romulus was
buried.
This is according to a reading of the ancient Roman historian
Varo, cited in the poet Horace's Epodes, the Colosseum Park
director told reporters.
"It it not an accident," experts cited by Russo said, "that
this underground altar was placed close to the Lapis Niger".
The excavation and valorisation of this monument to the cult
of Romulus and the origins of Rome will be illustrated by Russo
and the team of archaeologists and architects who have been
involved in the discovery, on Friday 21 February at 11 o'clock
in the morning.
A hypogeum or hypogaeum, literally meaning "underground",
from Greek hypo (under) and gaia (mother earth or goddess of
earth) is an underground temple or tomb.
Hypogea will often contain niches for cremated human remains
or loculi for buried remains. Occasionally tombs of this type
are referred to as built tombs.
Hypogeum can also refer to any antique building or part of
building built below ground such as the series of tunnels under
the Colosseum which held slaves (particularly enemy captives)
and animals while keeping them ready to fight in the
gladiatorial games.
The animals and slaves could be let up through trapdoors
under the sand-covered arena at any time during a fight.
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