Archaeologists Discover Roman Villa on Site of 'Unauthorized Eco Monster'

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Roman villa complex in southern Italy on the site of a development described as an ecological monstrosity. The researchers unearthed the monumental villa, which is thought to date back to around the 1st century, during urban regeneration works in Bacoli, the Superintendency of Archeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area (SABAP) announced in a press release.

The site of the villa lies in the vicinity of Punta Sarparella on the coast of Cape Miseno—a headland that marks the northwestern limit of the Gulf of Naples. The coastal areas of the Gulf . The ancient city of Pompeii, which was famously destroyed by an that overlooks the bay, is located just off the coast, for example.

The Cape of Miseno was also home to ancient settlement called Misenum, which was the site of a significant Roman port. As part of the urban regeneration works in Bacoli, a project was launched to recover and enhance an area of coast previously occupied by the former Lido Piranha, a beachside development that SABAP described as an "unauthorized eco monster" in Italian—meaning an ugly and environmentally damaging construction.

The Lido was in operation for over 20 years since 1982. It was demolished in 2007. It was responsible, among other things, for releasing a significant amount of waste into its surroundings and degrading the local landscape, which is of great archaeological importance, according to the press release.

The Roman villa complex, which extends down to the beach and the seabed, has been found to contain 10 large rooms from different building phases, walking surfaces and traces of wall cladding, according to archaeologists. The villa was constructed using a technique known as (or reticulate work), which involves the use of small, pyramid shaped pieces of tuff—a type of volcanic stone—embedded into concrete.

was used in Roman architecture from around the first century B.C. to the early first century. Evidence from the site suggests that the villa may have been the residence of the prefect of the —the senior fleet of the Roman navy—which was based at Misenum. Although this hypothesis has yet to be verified, the residence would have been an ideal location for the prefect to live, given its location on Punta Sarparella—a point on a promontory that juts out into the Gulf.

This position would have provided a broad view of the surrounding coastline and the Gulf in its entirety. According to SABAP, this promontory may have been the site where Pliny the Elder—the famed Roman author, philosopher and military commander, who once held the office of the prefect of the fleet—witnessed the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D.

79. SABAP said the latest discovery was of "exceptional significance"—noting that the perimeter of the villa site has now been fenced off, awaiting further excavations, which could include the submerged and semi submerged structures along the coastline. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground..