A strange dog head statue has been discovered just half a meter below the road surface. Interestingly, this discovery has led to a larger finding of a Roman burial complex dating back 2,000 years.
The statue attracts attention due to its uniqueness compared to previous excavations – (Photo: Italian Ministry of Culture)
According to Live Science, experts from an archaeological branch of the Italian Ministry of Culture were examining a site on Via Luigi Tosti in the Appio Latino district of Rome in preparation for a waterway project when they unearthed a one-of-a-kind statue. This is a bust of a dog, with a meticulously sculpted head and a simplified body consisting only of a large collar and two front legs.
Upon digging further at the site where the statue was found, archaeologists discovered a ceramic urn containing the bones of a young person, followed by several other ancient graves.
According to Roma Today, the dog head statue is believed to be a decorative object related to the graves.
The number of ancient graves excavated does not represent the entirety of the underground world that the dog head statue has inadvertently marked. This area has been identified as an important avenue of the Romans 2,000 years ago, featuring notable architecture along the way. The site they have just excavated could be part of a massive burial complex, a “city of the dead” hidden beneath the bustling modern city above.
Traces left in the ancient graves suggest that the burial site seems to have been abandoned following a major fire.
The Roman road extends beneath many modern streets and some of the architecture, with burial chambers along the ancient road previously excavated and opened to the public as part of the Archaeological Park of the Via Latina Tombs.
Currently, authorities have not announced anything regarding the newly discovered burial site. It is also possible that it will not be excavated but preserved underground, making way for new constructions, as in a historically rich area like this, every inch of land could potentially contain artifacts.
