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Italian archaeologists recently gained rare insight into life during Ancient Rome when they found a multi-story apartment building built decades before the birth of Jesus Christ.
The discovery was announced by the Special Superintendency of Rome on Aug. 4. Construction crews were digging in Rome’s Piazza Venezia at the time as part of the Metro Line C subway project.
Officials say the structures spanned several eras of Italian history, as early as the end of the Republic period in the first century B.C.
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The site also contained homes from the Roman Imperial Era – the first to fourth centuries A.D. – as well as modern palaces that were destroyed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Pictures show the buried ancient structures near the stately Victor Emmanuel II Monument in the piazza.
Excavations beneath Piazza Venezia revealed centuries of construction, including the late Republic and the Roman Imperial Era. (Soprintendenza Speciale Roma via Facebook)
The real gem of the excavation was a multi-story complex that experts believe may have been used as an insula, or an apartment building.
The structure was likely used by ordinary Romans, The Guardian reported.
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Fox News Digital reached out to officials for additional information about the structure.
Those close to the work said the site is like a palimpsest — a manuscript rewritten over time but still bearing traces of earlier text.
“Piazza Venezia reveals a complex palimpsest that makes it possible to study the topography of central Rome,” said the post, which was translated from Italian to English.
Archaeologists say the excavation demonstrates how infrastructure projects often bring Rome’s long-hidden past to light. (Soprintendenza Speciale Roma via Facebook)
“The project, carried out under the scientific direction of the Special Superintendency of Rome, is progressing in full synergy with Metro C and Roma Metropolitane, without delays compared to the scheduled timeline.”
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Daniela Porro, the special superintendent of Rome, commended the excavation in a statement.
“The great fascination of this excavation lies in the sumptuous palimpsest of different eras that has resurfaced before our eyes and must be enhanced in the future station,” she said.
“Piazza Venezia reveals a complex palimpsest that makes it possible to study the topography of central Rome,” officials said. (Soprintendenza Speciale Roma via Facebook)
“Once again, the construction of a metro station allows us to rediscover the past of our city.”
The latest discovery is one of numerous historical finds in the Eternal City that have come to light.
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At the Appian Way Regional Park, an urban park in Rome, excavators recently found an ancient bath-turned-baptistery, with evidence of a Christian church at the site.
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Last summer, construction crews unearthed an ancient laundry near the Vatican.