The rise and fall of Fregellae: The archaeology of an ancient Roman city Get a glimpse of the interesting findings from a fresh excavation that have thrown some light on how the societal, economic and cultural scenario would have been earlier and later to its death.
What is inside an Ultra luxe Villa?
All you had to do was let archaeologists dig at Fregellae, where they have uncovered sensational finds including the region’s oldest Roman villa, which forms part of the same private complex and dates back 80 years before the city was razed in 125 BC.
This mansion owned by a wealthy local provides an example of the agricultural and trade prosperity there at that time. Archaeobotanical studies and production type determinations based on amphores and storage containers demonstrate that wine, fruit & vegetable products as well as grain was produced in this complex.
LEIZA project manager Professor Dominik Maschek stresses the importance of this reading: “It is really exciting that we could reveal quite some architectural features from such an early production site. Despite evidence of the fire and the near total loss of building materials, the objects provide insights into a way of life for those living at that time, with their activities as peasants.
However, the wine at the villa was not strictly for local consumption and may have been sold within Mediterranean trading networks that could even extend to Spain and southern France. Grain and fruit were probably for the local market but this underlines the range of economic activity pursued by some industrialists.
The Unsettling Legacy of Roman Conquest
The excavation has shown that the violent takeover of Fregellae by the Roman army not only put an end to this productive center of production, but also devastated the economy of an entire region.
Maschek: “The violent destruction left deep scars on the local economy. For another 170 years it lay untouched and uninhabitated, becoming a tip in the city.
Between 1 and 250 CE, they discovered more than a hundred ceramic vessels that date back to around 50 CE when the location seems to have been deserted for nearly two centuries before being turned into a rubbish dump.
This was to have tragic consequences as the cultural landscape degenerated into dust and fellow so that it infructuous for centuries. The violent change of fortunes in the region demonstrates how severe an impact Roman conquest could have on local settlements and society.
Conclusion
Findings from the archaeological excavation in Fregellae have revealed a fascinating tale of an ancient prosperous city and its cultural landscape under sweeping Roman conquest. It makes the ancient remnants of an agrarian social life that would have been bustling with activity three quarters of a millennium ago, look more vibrant than they have in lifetimes.
Nevertheless, the warlike obliteration of Fregellae and subsequent desertion of the area for 170 years is a stark illustration of how war can impact an inhabited region. Unearthing this reveals valuable details of the past in addition to a way for human cultures to survive insurmountable adversity.
