Rome to unveil new archeological treasure

A tomb believed to belong to the city's founder, Romulus, is being shared with the world today

Capitoline Wolf suckles the infant twins Romulus and Remus.
Powered by automated translation

Rome is unveiling a new archaeological treasure – an ancient tomb believed to belong to the city’s founder, Romulus.

According to legend, Romulus founded the city after murdering his twin brother, Remus. There is ongoing debate as to whether the pair actually existed but, through the ages, an image of the twins being suckled by a she-wolf has become a symbol of Rome and its people.

A stone sarcophagus dating back to the 6th century BC, with an accompanying circular altar, was discovered under Rome’s Forum decades ago, but experts could not decide whether or not it belonged to the famed Romulus, whose body was believed to have been dismembered by angry senators after his death.

This undated photo handout on February 21, 2020 by the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum (Parcolosseo) in Rome shows an ancient tomb thought to belong to Rome's founder Romulus at the Curia - Comitium in Rome. An ancient tomb thought to belong to Rome's founder Romulus will be presented to the world on February 21, 2020, bringing to a head months of investigation by history sleuths. The 6th century BC stone sarcophagus, with an accompanying circular altar, was discovered under the Forum in the heart of Italy's capital decades ago, but experts could not agree on whether or not it belonged to the fabled figure.
 - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF THE COLOSSEUM - PARCOLOSSEO" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ---
 / AFP / ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF THE COLOSSEUM - PARCOLOSSEO / Handout / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF THE COLOSSEUM - PARCOLOSSEO" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ---
The ancient tomb thought to belong to Rome's founder Romulus at the Curia - Comitium in Rome. AFP Photo / Archeological Park of the Colosseum  

The Colosseum Archaeological Park, which manages the Forum where the sarcophagus lies, said recent clues all pointed to it being the founder's tomb, in what it labelled an "extraordinary discovery". No bones were discovered at the site.

"These two archaeological objects (sarcophagus and altar) have given rise to a hypothesis we can now debate," says Italian archaeologist Paolo Carafa. "Whether Romulus existed or not is not important. What matters is that this figure is considered by the ancients to mark the political birth of the city."