Excavations conducted as part of
work for the new C line of the Rome metro have uncovered
Pompeii-like finds including a dog's skeleton in the capital,
sources said Monday.
The dig has unearthed two spaces dating to the middle of the
imperial period which, due to a fire, feature well-conserved
parts of a wooden ceiling and furniture.
"The material is only conserved in exceptional environmental
and climatic conditions, or after special events like those that
took place at Herculaneum and Pompeii," said sources at Rome's
special superintendency.
"The discovery of a burned wooden ceiling is unique for the
city".
The excavation in via dell'Amba Aradam also found the
skeleton of the dog, curled up in front of a door and "likely
trapped inside the building at the time of the fire," sources
said.
A fine black and white mosaic floor was also found.
"What makes this find resemble Pompeii is that we have
evidence of a moment in history," said the special
superintendent for the Colosseum and Rome's archaeological area,
Francesco Prosperetti,
"The fire that stopped life in this environment allows us to
imagine life at a precise moment".
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi, who has sometime shalted work on
the Metro C line, hailed the find.
"Rome never ceases to amaze," she said in an English-language
tweet.
"From the metro worksite the latest marvel to arrive from the
past," said the mayor.
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