Xiaoling Hossenfelder, an archaeologist and an expert in the ancient Near East, said the site, located in the northern Adriatic city of Heraclea, is full of unusual finds.
“When you find an ancient object like this, it becomes an archeological treasure,” she said, although she noted the site could be used for commercial purpose.
A group of archaeologists excavating the area on behalf of a consortium led by the International Center for Journalists said they had discovered artifacts and the remains of Roman soldiers that they believe date back to the time of emperor Claudius and that had been used as an early stage in the founding of an aqueduct network called the Aqueduct of Claudius.
Some of the artifacts had “gilded” ends, suggesting they were meant to be used for decoration or as trinkets over a period of time, Hossenfelder told Reuters.
The group also reported finding two large graves, while the two smaller graves that were found in the area were more recent additions.
“It looks like there was a big burial within or in the vicinity of the main grave,” Hossenfelder said.
The newly excavated site contains more artifacts than previously reported, including a large collection of ancient coins including several Roman ones, silver eagles, an oculus and a rare copper alloy known as “magnesium,” the excavators said.
However, the archaeologists said they had yet to complete identifying all of the artifacts that were found so far. “We have only begun our excavation work,” Hossenfelder said. “We are looking for anything that might be interesting.”
The aqueduct network is one of two main aqueduct projects that the Roman empire built in the region including a water network that was the largest in the Roman empire. The network led to the construction of numerous aqueducts from the aqueduct network to the Rhine.
But it was not the largest. According to Hossenfelder, one of the largest was completed in 69 B.C. in the Black Sea city of Heraclea. The others were completed by Caesar Augustus between 67 B.C. and 52 B.C.