Excavations at a spectacular ancient Roman site in northern Italy have yielded some important discoveries in the most recent archaeological season. The latest of these remarkable discoveries in the ancient city of Cterna is an extremely valuable collection of some 3,000 Roman coins of silver, gold and bronze and 50 precious stones, many of them engraved with images honoring various Roman gods. These coins and gems were not all found together but were discovered in different locations in what would have been a complex urban settlement linked to the Roman Empire.
To date, thousands of Roman coins have been unearthed at Cterna. (Soprintendenza Bologna)
Unearth the riches of a successful Roman settlement
Located in the hills of northern Italy near modern-day Bologna, the ancient Roman city of Cterna was once a prosperous regional center. Archaeologists have earmarked a 44-acre (18 ha) site for excavation and expect this work to continue for the next several years. The incredible collection of Roman coins and gems has been recovered in recent excavations covering 10% of the area that has been explored so far, officials explained in a statement released by the Italian Ministry of Culture. show .
Previous excavations at the site have uncovered many ruins that reveal the truth about Cterna’s importance. These discoveries include the ruins of many roads, a house with multicolored mosaic floors and strange Roman baths, as well as a huge theater or forum where public entertainment would have been held. add.
Archaeologists who have spent time digging up the ruins of Claterna have called it a “magical place,” with some even comparing it to one of the most famous and most frequently visited metropolises. of ancient Rome.
“We are facing the largest unstratified archaeological site in Northern Italy,” said Lucia Borgonzoni, Italian Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Culture. “Given the importance and number of discoveries that have come to light so far, perhaps we can speak of a ‘Pompeii of the North’.
Recent excavations have uncovered thousands of Roman coins and colorful gems at the Cterna archaeological site in northern Italy. (Soprintendenza Bologna)
Excavation of Roman coins and colored gems at Cterna
When cataloging the currency, archaeologists identified a particularly rare and valuable Roman coin. This type of silver coin is called a quinarius and this particular example was minted in 97 BC during the Roman Republic. This coin was found lying on the ground amid the rubble of a collapsed hallway in the ancient theater. Archaeologists believe it was lost there around the time the structure was built.
Archaeologists concluded that the presence of so many coins at the settlement suggests that Cterna may have been a trading center and not just a pilgrimage or tourist site. “It was a commercial center with a direct connection to Rome,” claims Borgonzoni.
As for the colored gemstones, they are clearly commemorative items. They feature engraved images of Roman gods as well as important structures of the city, including the huge theater of Cterna. The Ministry of Culture actually hopes to restore the site for future use, which will allow visitors to enjoy entertainment just like the ancient Romans did in Cterna more than 2,000 years ago .
About 3,000 Roman coins were discovered at Cterna during excavations. (Soprintendenza Bologna)
Remembering “Pompeii of the North”
The Roman settlement at Cterna was established around the second century BC. The first mention of it in history books linked it to the early military exploits of a young general named Octavian, who would be crowned the first Roman Emperor Augustus in 27 BC. Octavian and his men fought in the region during the civil war that broke out between the Roman Senate and the forces led by the defiant and rebellious general Mark Antony, following the assassination of Julius Caesar that left the Roman Republic fall into chaos.
It was in the first century AD, during the golden age of the Roman Empire, that the city of Claterna flourished as an administrative, economic and political center. As revealed in the excavations carried out to date, the city has an impressive array of monumental buildings, including a temple, a civil basilica, many monuments a porticoed structure, the aforementioned theater, and an amphitheater that may have housed gladiator games.
Claterna’s large rectangular city center has space dedicated to the market and is decorated with many monuments and other public buildings. At various locations, archaeologists have discovered the ruins of houses, some of which were quite spacious and may have been occupied by the Roman elite.
There are many modest single-family homes built in Cterna, specifically for lower- and middle-class residents. On the outskirts of the city, researchers found the remains of workshops run by craftsmen who produced consumer goods from metal, clay and glass. There is also a large necropolis on the edge of Cterna, typical of Roman settlements.
Claterna was occupied from the second century BC to the sixth century AD, after which it was completely abandoned. It went through a period of economic decline in the late fourth century and into the fifth century, surviving as a sparsely populated village for about another hundred years before finally disappearing into the annals of history. history.
Archaeological excavations of a Roman villa with mosaics in Claterna, Italy. (Desyman / CC BY-SA 3.0 )
Incredible resurrection of a lost place and time
The Italian Ministry of Culture and the Bologna city administration will work closely with local institutions to inform the public about the incredible discoveries at the Claterna archaeological site.
“We plan to carry out a series of activities involving local entities and organizations, designed to bring knowledge of this magical place rich in history to the public,” said Borgonzoni. young people first and attracts many tourists from all over the world.” Statement of the Ministry of Culture
Newly discovered Roman coins and gems will likely play a prominent role in the upcoming promotional campaign. These precious finds offer a fascinating glimpse into the vast wealth that would have changed hands over the centuries in the prosperous Roman city of Cterna.
Top image: Two of the gems discovered along with thousands of Roman coins at the ancient Roman city of Claterna in Italy. Source: Soprintendenza Bologna
