Rubén Montoya Profile picture
🏛️Dr. in Classical Art History and Archaeology ⏳Adjunct Professor of Humanities @IEUniversity / 📗'Pompeya. Una ciudad romana en 100 objetos.'

Feb 27, 2021, 12 tweets

The discovery of a four-wheeled processional chariot in the suburban villa of Civita Giuliana has just been announced by @pompeii_sites. The villa is located in the northwest suburban area of #Pompeii and today I bring you this #thread reconstructing the history of this villa

In 1907-1908 the villa was discovered and 15 rooms were excavated, unveiling a residential and industrial complex. The residential area was organised around a peristyle and was decorated in the 3rd and 4th Pompeian styles...

In the industrial area a lararium or domestic altar and a torcularium for wine production were found. The looting of the site for illegal trafficking of antiquities through subterranean tunnels caused a joint collaboration between @pompeii_sites and public forces in 2017

The result of their impressive work resulted in unique #discoveries that have shed new light on our understanding of Pompeii and, particularly, of this stunning villa complex and its residents

In 2018 a stable and the remains of three horses were found in the industrial area. It was possible to create plaster casts of part of the furniture a complete horse, and the legs of another one. Remains of military harnesses were also found

In 2020, new discoveries were made in the residential area, consisting of rooms richly decorated and a cryptoporticus with the graffito "Mummia", suggesting some authors that this villa could have been owned by the "Mummii" family

In one passage leading from the cryptoporticus to the upper floor, the remains of two bodies were found. They probably died in the dawn of 25 October 79. It was possible to create to plaster casts unveiling the dramatic expression of their death

The ongoing excavations in the industrial area have unveiled new treasures, announced today by @pompeii_sites. In one room attached to the stable found in 2018, at the end of 2020 another room was found. This space contained a wooden ceiling perfectly preserved and recovered

Under this ceiling, on 7 January 2021 the remains of a processional four-wheeled chariot were found. This type of chariot, identified as a "pilentum", had iron wheels and it was decorated in bronze with medallions in tin, with no parallels so far in Pompeii and Italy.

I'm so excited about the next discovery in this villa and the unique information it will provide to know a little bit more the Roman world. All the information and photos have been taken from @pompeii_sites website, and the copyright belong to Pompeii Sites.

Here you have this #thread in #Spanish

Also, visit @pompei79 Twitter for daily updates ans amazing content on #Pompeii

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