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Archeologists unearth find 'bigger than Pompeii' near Rome

The archeological discovery in ancient Rome's port city of Ostia is "bigger than Pompeii," experts say.

By Ed Adamczyk

OSTIA, Italy, April 16 (UPI) -- A new section of the ancient Roman city of Ostia has been unearthed, a find “bigger than Pompeii,” Rome’s archeological office announced Wednesday.

The results, found in the city that served as Rome’s port in ancient times, reveal that Rome was “split in two by the Tiber River in the First Century B.C.,” the office said.

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A consortium of Rome’s Archeological Superintendency, The American Institute for Roman Culture, and students from 14 U.S. universities discovered towers, warehouses, walls and road layouts buried beneath the earth of two public parks.

In 2011, an ancient ship was discovered in the area. An 11-meter section of the ship has thus far been uncovered.

“This great result tells us a lot of things about the ancient coastline and what was happening 2,000 years ago,” former Italian Culture Minister Giancarlo Galan said.

The discovery offers an alternative view of where the port was located and where the Roman Empire’s biggest fleet was stationed, as well as how goods moved in and out of ancient Rome.

[ANSA]

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