Advertisement

Possible 'shrine' to Rome's founding father Romulus discovered at city's ancient ruins

Archaeologists have found what may be a shrine dedicated 2,600 years ago to Romulus, Rome's legendary founder and first king.

Experts carrying out an excavation at the Italian capital's ancient ruins discovered a sarcophagus, or stone coffin, along with a cylinder-shaped stone block, believed to possibly be an altar.

Both are made of tuff - a type of rock created from ash spewed from a volcanic eruption - carved from the Capitoline Hill that overlooks the Roman Forum, and which is home to today's City Hall.

Archaeologist Patrizia Fortini claims no one is suggesting the tomb ever actually contained the bones of Romulus who, with his twin Remus, established Rome near the Tiber River in around 753 BC.

It is claimed it is likely to date back to the 6th century BC, some 200 years after Romulus' time.

She said: "We don't know whether Romulus physically existed the way he was described in legends."

Alfonsina Russo, the archaeologist in charge of the site, said that according to some ancient traditions, Romulus was killed and dismembered or ascended into heaven.

He said: "Therefore this cannot be his tomb, but it is very likely, we believe, that this is a memorial site, a cenotaph."

Legend has it that Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf as babies, and that Romulus later killed his twin brother in a dispute over the founding of Rome.

While excavations continue, authorities hope the public will be able to walk underground to view the find in around two years' time.