Ostiense: from the excavation other treasures. The experts identify a millstone Pompeian
Piazzale Ostiense continues to give discoveries. Before the riddle of the shoes of the Second World War, with the outstanding facilities of the “Portico of” St. Paul, and the crypt of the church of late antiquity of San Salvatore de Porta. Now, not only the church has revealed the complexity of its walls, but has resurfaced even a millstone Pompeii, in his typical hourglass shape, over a meter high, which owes its name to the type in use at Pompeii. What does a grinding grain in this context? “It’s really a yard of surprises,” says archaeologist Francesca Mattei Pavoni at work, under the scorching sun, in the trenches almost two meters below the road surface.
THE YARD
In the shadow of the Pyramid of Cestius you continue to dig. There, where the intervention Italgas for the replacement of an old pipe to Piazzale Ostiense, has uncovered a series of exhibits of high scientific value. The excavation area was enlarged, almost tripled. The offices of the City authorities gave their agreement to occupy a roadway, with traffic being diverted. And under the supervision of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage led by Mariarosaria Barbera, the goal is to shed light on a site that “over the centuries has been the protagonist of the story of Rome” reflects the Mattei Pavoni who is leading the excavation for the company Lande srl, under the scientific responsibility of Rita Paris, and coordination of Anna Maria Durante.
THE SHOES
Going backwards in time, you run the searches are in the “throw” of dozens and dozens of leather shoes for women, men and children, dating back to the ’30s and ’40s of the last century, found two feet deep. A mystery that is raising the attention of historians. The surveys do not yet have scoured their industry: “We are not yet able to go deep, up to the level of the deposit of shoes, because we found bundles of electric wires – tells the Mattei Pavoni – So we’re waiting for that is set in safety l ‘ area and then to concentrate the excavation in the exact spot where we think they are other examples of artifacts, and finally groped to understand the meaning. ” Of course, the re-emergence of old pipes hint at a history of decades of public works without controls.
THE CHURCH
The other surprise has resurfaced a few days ago: a millstone Pompeian. An unexpected finding that opens up a scenario: “Here there had to be a productive activity, perhaps for domestic use or large scale – warns the Mattei Pavoni – a workshop or a warehouse connected to the Portico of St. Paul.” The grinder (used by the fourth century BC to the Middle Ages) stands today, out of context, next to the pillar of the famous porch of the Via Ostiense. Testimony prestigious architectural complex (fourth and fifth centuries AD) that ran for three kilometers from the Porta San Paolo to the sanctuary, used by the faithful on pilgrimage.
Another hypothesis is that the mill was in use in the medieval church of San Salvatore de Porta. Well passed in 1573 to the German-Hungarian College of Rome, which was demolished in 1849, of which today are back to view the walls of environments probably covered with vaults: “According to a document from the college – says the archaeologist Lucrezia Spera Pontifical Institute of Christian archeology – the complex is presented as a chapel or church with a room above the sacristy and a bedroom. The environments are found related to these annexes, which had to be very articulate. In particular, the structures appear to bind to the restoration works carried out under the ownership of the College. ” “Between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries environments annexed to the church were known for a tradition – warns the Spera – As reported in 1600, the Panciroli, from a scale of these environments would be to bring down the noble Plautilla in Sao Paulo with her veil which the apostle should have been blindfolded during the beheading.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM OUR BLOG
