Many relics of the past are discovered by chance, and sometimes this happens when they are doing construction work. During renovation work in the basement of a school, they found a 2,500 year old wall.
In Rome they found the 2,500 year old wall
The discovery was in Rome when they made additions to the basement of the Spanish School of History and Archeology. During the same excavations, they discovered blocks of stone that belonged to an old burial chamber from the 1st century BC.
According to expert archaeologists, the wall is part of a reform that was carried out on the walls that the city built around the 4th century BC. Protected from intruders. The first work on the school began in 2015 and it was at this time that they found the first evidence of what was hidden in this place.
In the area where the school is today, the Trajan Forum was once located on one of the seven Roman hills. The school’s director, Antonio Pizzo, revealed that Rome’s defensive wall was built during the reign of Servius Tullius in the 4th century BC.
Properties of the 2,500 year old wall
The wall was seven kilometers long, four kilometers wide and about ten kilometers high. After the invasion of the Gauls in 390 BC. It was rebuilt to reach a length of eleven kilometers. This rebuild is part of the discovery.
The renovation of the wall meant a great financial and infrastructural effort for the Romans. However, they mainly built it to lift the spirits of the people after the disaster that caused the said invasion of the Gauls.
The main line of defense was built in the hills surrounding Rome. Likewise, the land was consolidated in the lower elevations with walls like the one found. The one in the school is a slope that also served as a channel for the sewage that came from the highest areas of the city.
An unexpected discovery
In addition to the walls, a complete burial chamber from the 1st century BC was also discovered. This chamber was built to hold the coffin of a dignitary as well as that of his immediate relatives. It is believed that the character must have been a high official as he was given a public place for his grave and that of his descendants. Given that these plots were only transferred through a public municipal concession, it must be taken into account that the deceased was an important person.
The funerary memorial was located on the old Field of Mars, a selected site where approval for its location had to be approved by the Senate. In each case it could not be determined who the person found was.
