New archaeological discoveries in Pietralata, a peripheral area of Rome, are challenging previous understandings of the ancient city’s spread. Excavations conducted by the Special Superintendency of Rome in the Parco delle Acacie, along Via di Pietralata, have brought to light two monumental baths, a sacellum (small shrine) possibly dedicated to the cult of Hercules, and two Republican-era tombs. These findings provide compelling evidence of a more extensive ancient Roman presence in what was once considered a suburban area.
Ancient Rome’s ‘Diffused City’ Confirmed in Pietralata
Daniela Porro, director of the Special Superintendency of Rome, highlighted the significance of these discoveries, stating, “Modern peripheries are revealing themselves as custodians of deep memories, still waiting to be explored. The findings confirm the importance of preventive archaeology as an indispensable tool for urban development to be associated with the protection and greater knowledge and enhancement of heritage.” The current excavations, which began in the summer of 2022, cover a vast area of approximately four hectares, with one hectare proving to be of particular archaeological interest.
Wealthy Family Tombs and Enigmatic Baths
The site reveals continuous occupation from the 5th-4th century BC to the 1st century AD, with less intensive use between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Fabrizio Santi, scientific director of the Special Superintendency of Rome, noted, “The identified tombs point to a wealthy family group, while the two monumental baths open up stimulating research scenarios.” He added that the baths could be related to ritual activities, production, or water collection, and further scientific study will be crucial for contextualizing and understanding their role within the ancient landscape. A long ancient road, traversed by a watercourse flowing into the nearby Aniene river, also runs through the area.
The Road and its Evolution
The ancient road is divided into two distinct sections: one, closer to Via di Pietralata, made of compacted earth, and the other, near Via Feronia, cut into the tufa rock. While the road’s use likely predates these findings, the first signs of regularization of the road axis, running from northwest to southeast, date back to the Middle Republican Age (3rd century BC). During this period, a large retaining wall of tufa blocks was constructed, later replaced by a wall of opus incertum in the following century. In the 1st century AD, the still-in-use road was provided with a new paving and delimited by additional walls of opus reticulatum. The section near Via Feronia was in use between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, with early traces of cart ruts. By the 2nd-3rd century AD, modest pit tombs along the road suggest a gradual abandonment of the route.
The Shrine to Hercules
Off the road, a small quadrangular cult building (4.5 by 5.5 meters) with opus incertum tufa walls and traces of plaster was discovered. At its center, aligned with the entrance, a square tufa base, plastered white, was found – likely an altar or part of one. A masonry projection on the back wall, at the center, would have served as the base for a cult statue. The sacellum was built over a disused votive deposit, containing terracotta heads, feet, female statuettes, and two bovines. These artifacts strongly suggest a dedication to Hercules, a deity widely worshipped along the nearby Via Tiburtina, from Rome to Tibur, with numerous temples. Bronze coins found at the site date its construction to between the late 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.
Two Republican-Era Tombs
On the tufa slope descending from Via di Pietralata, two distinct and parallel corridors (dromoi) lead to two chamber tombs dating to the 4th – early 3rd century BC. Tomb A features a monumental entrance to an internal chamber carved into the rock, with a stone portal and architrave sealed internally by a large, heavy monolithic slab. Inside, a large sarcophagus and three peperino urns were found, along with two intact vases, a black-glazed cup, a purified ceramic jug, a mirror, and a small black-glazed cup. Tomb B, perhaps slightly later but still from the Republican era (3rd century BC), was sealed with large tufa blocks. The chamber features benches for the deposition of the deceased, including an adult male whose partial skull, showing signs of surgical trepanation, has been recovered. These two tombs, part of the same funerary complex, likely had a monumental tufa block facade, of which only a few remain, with others having been removed and reused in Roman times. These elements collectively suggest the construction and use by a wealthy and powerful gens (clan) operating in the area.
The Eastern Bath: A Mystery of Function
The eastern bath, approximately 28 x 10 meters and 2.10 meters deep, was constructed in the 2nd century BC, as indicated by the opus incertum masonry technique. By the 1st century AD, its function likely ceased, leading to a gradual abandonment that culminated in its definitive closure by the end of the 2nd century. The concrete walls were originally covered with a compact white plaster, now mostly detached. The structure was topped by a large tufa block cornice. Two barrel-vaulted niches are present in the center of the two long sides. Despite the presence of water, its function remains uncertain. Based on other findings (architectural terracottas, ceramic fragments, some with graffiti), a cultic use is plausible, or perhaps some type of productive activity. The bath was fed by a system of channels originating from both the watercourse and the still-existing slope alongside Via di Pietralata.
The Southern Bath: Possibly Sacred
A second monumental bath, carved into the tufa bedrock, measuring 21 x 9.2 meters with a depth of approximately 4 meters, was found to the south. Its exterior is delimited by irregularly arranged squared block masonry, dating to the 2nd century BC. A century later, additional walls of opus reticulatum and opus quadratum tufa were constructed, defining the perimeter of its summit. Access was via a ramp of large tufa flagstones, resting directly on the ground. A narrower ramp, made of concrete and paved with rectangular slabs, allowed access to the bottom of the well. Its function is currently unclear, as no water supply or drainage channels have yet been identified. However, the Pietralata bath shares some similarities with a recently discovered bath in Gabii, for which a sacred function has been hypothesized. Ceramic material found inside dates its abandonment to the 2nd century AD.
The full valorization plan for the area will be initiated once the excavation is complete in a few months.
Source: https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_gennaio_14/archeologia-a-pietralata-scoperte-due-vasche-monumentali-un-sacello-e-2-tombe-di-eta-repubblicana-il-culto-di-ercole-e-la-b5f1ac5f-1b49-418d-80b0-777334654xlk.shtml
