(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 22 - The remains of a Roman road have been
found underneath Venice, according to a new Italian study.
The survey, carried out by researchers at the National Research
Centre's Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR-CRN) and Venice's
IUAV University, has been published in the journal Scientific
Reports.
The discovery, which includes the remains of a Roman dock near
the Treporti canal, shows there were human settlements in the
area centuries before Venice was founded, as well as a road
system between the present-day city of Chioggia and the ancient
city of Altinus, the study says.
"We carried out the mapping with sonar because we wanted to
study the morphology of the canals in 3-D," CNR geophysicist
Fantina Madricardo told ANSA.
"Examining the data gathered, we noted the presence of 12
structures of an anthropic nature, aligned for over a kilometre
in a northeast direction and at a depth of around four metres.
"After talking to the scuba divers who found similar remains in
the 1980s, and speaking with archaeologist Maddalena Bassani,"
Madricardo continued, "we deduced that we were faced with lumps
of basalt that paved the Roman road laid along the sandy
coastline that is today under the sea". (ANSA).
Roman road found under Venice
With remains of dock, uncovered by CNR's sonar