One of the six statuettes to be unearthed shows ‘strongman’ Hercules wielding a club in one hand and a lion’s pelt in the other. Photo / Italian Culture Ministry
One of the six statuettes to be unearthed shows ‘strongman’ Hercules wielding a club in one hand and a lion’s pelt in the other. Photo / Italian Culture Ministry
A sacred shrine dedicated to Hercules containing bronze statues depicting the ancient Greek hero has been discovered by archaeologists in Rome.
One of the statuettes shows a naked Hercules wielding a hefty club in one hand while holding a lion’s pelt in the other – his signature pose.
There aresix statues in total, at least three of which are believed to depict the demigod known for his immense strength.
The 10cm-high figurines were dug out of thick layers of mud that smothered the remains of a second century BC shrine honouring Hercules, who was the subject of a popular cult during ancient Roman times.
Archaeologists were still brushing dust and debris from the shrine’s altar when the Telegraph visited the dig on Wednesday local time.
Objects in the shape of body parts were dug up by archaeologists at the site on the outskirts of Rome. Photo / Italian Culture Ministry
They have unearthed terracotta objects in the shape of feet, legs, heads and arms, which were probably tossed in as offerings to the gods by people suffering from ailments to those parts of the body.
Female figurines were also dug out of the ground, as well as two tiny ox statuettes.
Just a few metres from the shrine, archaeologists found a fourth century BC Roman road, and on either side of it they discovered two huge pools which they think would have been used for sacred rituals.
The pools were fed by springs which still gurgle up from the ground, trickling across the site and turning much of it into sticky mud.
“The pools were built to collect water, but we think they also had a ritual purpose linked to the cult of Hercules,” said Fabrizio Santi, the dig’s chief archaeologist.
The huge pools would probably have been used to conduct ancient rituals. Photo / Italian Culture Ministry
“Hercules was a divinity who was linked to pastoralism. He was very popular in central Italy. The site is very close to the Via Tiburtina, an ancient road that was used for herding flocks of sheep and other livestock.
“It led to the town of Tivoli – known as Tibur to the Romans – where there was an important temple dedicated to Hercules.”
The archaeologists have found ancient jugs at the bottom of the sacred pools, containers which may have been used for ritual libations involving wine.
“All these findings are of exceptional importance,” said Santi.
Overlooking the pools stand two impressive tombs carved out of volcanic tufa stone, which date from the third century BC, during the Roman republican era.
One of them contains a large sarcophagus that probably holds the remains of a wealthy landowner or aristocrat who had an estate in the area. There are also three stone urns, one of which contained the cremated remains of a young woman who was about 20 years old when she died.
In the second tomb, excavators found the remains of a man’s skull which showed signs of surgery involving some sort of drilling instrument.
The cluster of discoveries have emerged from a muddy, unprepossessing patch of land on the outskirts of Rome. A former park that was in a state of abandonment, it is bordered by a busy road and apartment blocks that were built in the 1970s.
An artefact discovered at the shrine in Via di Pietralata, on the outskirts of the Italian capital. Photo / Italian Culture Ministry
The setting may not be very impressive but the discoveries have been hailed as highly significant.
The site is unusual because it is not in the historic centre of Rome, amid the glories of the Forum and the Colosseum, but on the scrappy outskirts, in an area that would have been open countryside and agricultural estates 2000 years ago.
“The modern peripheries of Rome are emerging as key historical sites which are yet to be explored,” said Daniela Porro, a senior cultural heritage official.
The two pools resemble large modern swimming pools, complete with paved access ramps. But they were not built for splashing about in.
Archaeologists also found bronze coins from the second and third centuries BC which helped to date the site.
The dig at the 4ha site in Via di Pietralata on the eastern edge of the city began in 2022 and is now drawing to a close.
The area is earmarked for development but the archaeological remains will be preserved.
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