Italian archeologists have inched closer to unearthing the secrets behind one of Western civilization’s most enduring legends.
The Italian government Tuesday released the first images of a deep cavern where some archeologists believe that ancient Romans honored Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
The cavern, buried 50 feet under the ruins of the palace of the Emperor Augustus on the Palatine Hill, is about 23 feet high and 21 feet in diameter. Photographs taken by a camera probe show a domed cavern decorated with colored mosaics and seashells. At its center is a painted white eagle, a symbol of the Roman empire.
“This could reasonably be the place bearing witness to the myth of Rome,” Francesco Rutelli, Italy’s culture minister, said Tuesday.
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Items compiled from Tribune news services.
