A ROMAN city in Italy has been mapped in incredible detail without any digging using a ground-penetrating radar strapped to a quad bike recently. Falerii Novi is over 2,000 years old but today is mostly underground, leaving many of its ancient buildings undiscovered — until now. New scans of the site capture a bath house, theater, shops and even the city’s entire plumbing system in unprecedented detail for the first time. Archaeologists say ground-penetrating radar (GPR) tools could revolutionize our understanding of ancient settlements. The technology allows researchers to survey vast regions trapped beneath Earth’s surface without having to carry out time-consuming excavations. Team member Professor Martin Millett said: “This type of survey could transform the way archaeologists investigate urban sites.” The technology was used at Falerii Novi, a walled city spanning 75 acres about 30 miles (50 km) north of Rome. Falerii Novi was founded in 241 BC during the time of the Roman Republic and was inhabited until around 700 AD in the early Middle Ages. The city, not quite half the size of ancient Pompeii, had previously been partially excavated but mostly remained buried. With a population of perhaps 3,000 people, it boasted an unexpectedly elaborate public bath complex and market building, at least 60 large houses and a rectangular temple with columns near the city’s south gate. (SD-Agencies) |