An "exceptional" tomb dubbed The
Athlete's Tomb, found in exactly the same condition it was left
2,000 years ago, has been discovered outside Rome in the Case
Rossse area during an aqueduct extension excavation, sources
said Friday.
Rome archaeologists also called it the tomb of the strigils,
the instruments used for cleaning olive oil off sweaty bodies.
Four skeletons, of three men and a woman, were found in the
tomb with their ceremonial burial accoutrements, archaeologists
said.
Archaeologists said they had been lucky to find the tomb
intact since it lay relatively close to the surface, only two
metres below the field where it was found.
The bodies were accompanied in their last journey by splendid
black-painted ceramic works, some decorated with vegetal and
geometric motifs, a coin in bronze alloy with the helmeted head
of Minerva and the word "Romano" on the back, as well as plates
with the remains of food offerings including rabbit, chicken and
goat, and two iron strigils, used by athletes to clean
themselves after sweaty physical activity.
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