Archinect - News

MIT and Harvard scientists uncover the key behind ancient Rome's 'self-healing' concrete

2023-01-10T12:44:00-05:00

A team of researchers from MIT and Harvard University, working with laboratories in Italy and Switzerland, has made progress in understanding how concrete used by the ancient Romans has lasted for millennia. The discovery, outlined in a new paper published in the journal Science Advances, centers on the ancient civilization’s use of white lime minerals in their concrete mix, which can “self-heal” the material over time.

The white chunks, often referred to as “lime clasts,” had previously been disregarded as evidence of poor mixing practices by the Romans, with researchers instead attributing the durability of ancient Roman structures to the use of volcanic ash in cement mixes. However, the latest findings suggest the lime clasts are, in fact, the ingredient that gave the concrete a self-healing capability.

“The idea that the presence of these lime clasts was simply attributed ...

Ancient Roman mosaic discovered in former rebel hideout in Syria

2022-10-17T13:47:00-04:00

A massive Roman mosaic was unearthed in Syria, marking what some experts said was the most important archaeological discovery in the country in the last 20 years. The mosaic was found in the town of Rastan, outside Homs, Syria’s third largest city. Rastan was an important stronghold of anti-government forces and saw some of the fiercest clashes between the Syrian military and rebels. The region, which is rich in cultural heritage, was retaken by the Syrian government in 2018.

As reported by ARTnews, the mosaic was discovered within a site that dates back to the 4th century CE. Syria’s General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums had been excavating the location. The mosaic spans around 1,300 square feet, with each panel fashioned with small colorful stones that depict a rare portrayal of the Amazon warriors in Roman mythology. Also included are scenes from the Trojan War and a depiction of the Roman god of the sea, Neptune, along with 40 of his mistresses.

This is the first major excavation effort in Rastan since Syria’s civil war began in 2011. With only a section of the mosaic discovered, it’s presumed that it extends far wider and that other heritage sites and artifacts are present in the area. This is a significant finding, especially due to how the country’s armed conflict inundated Syrian heritage sites, many of which have been pillaged or destroyed. Most notable was the ravaging of UNESCO World Heritage Site Palmyra under ISIS control.

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Rome's Colosseum is worth a cool $79 billion, according to Deloitte

2022-07-28T12:23:00-04:00

The real value of one of the world’s most well-recognized historic sites is now officially set after the global financial consultancy Deloitte published their assessment of Rome’s ancient Colosseum on Monday.

According to Deloitte, the nearly 2,000-year-old Flavian amphitheater is worth exactly $79 billion. Its estimate is derived principally from responses to a survey that begged Italians a variety of questions pertaining to the perception of the Colosseum, of which the overwhelming majority — $75 billion — was ascribed to “social value.”

Romans in the survey placed an outsize value ($91 over $57) compared to their countrymen when asked about the monetary amount they would contribute per year to ensure the preservation of the first-century relic. Around 87% said it was the most important monument in Italy. Some 70% think the entire world should be tasked with financing its ongoing upkeep, wh...

Historic England objects to proposed monument at site of ancient Roman chariot-racing track in Colchester

2022-02-14T14:41:00-05:00

A proposed monument for a historic Army barracks could "harm" remains of an ancient Roman chariot racing track, Historic England said. The Roman Circus, a scheduled ancient monument in Colchester, Essex, shares a site with the Royal Artillery Barracks. An application has been submitted for a monument and two blue plaques to recognise the barracks as one of the earliest in the Colchester Garrison.

According to the Local Democracy Report Service, the Roman chariot-racing track is the only one of its kind in Britain and one of only six unearthed in northern Europe. Historic England, the public body that looks over England’s historic environment, does not believe the proposed commemorative monument would yield public benefit that outweighs the potential harm on the racing track.

Historic England has recommended a new location away from the ancient site be found for the monument. The applicant behind the monument was surprised by Historic England’s objection, noting that a block of residential units had been built near the site and was deemed acceptable.

Italy blocks McDonald's from building drive-through at Rome's ancient Baths of Caracalla

2022-01-04T13:40:00-05:00

Italy’s highest administrative court has definitively barred McDonald’s from building a 10,000 sq. m outlet in the shadow of the third-century Baths of Caracalla, one of Rome’s most celebrated ancient sites. Published on 28 December, the council of state’s ruling upheld the verdict of a lower court preventing the fast food chain from using a tract of land adjacent to the baths to open a drive-through restaurant and parking area.

The court also stated that government authorities are entitled to halt future development projects in or around other important heritage sites. As reported by The Art Newspaper, the Lazio region and the Italian culture ministry can now suspend works in not only existing heritage sites but in locations that authorities “intend to protect”, which have yet to be declared of cultural or landscape interest.

McDonald’s had already started building the drive-through after being approved by the ministry of culture. However, the project was stopped in 2019 following a media outcry and the ministry of culture’s reversal of its position. McDonald’s plans to open 200 new restaurants in Italy by 2025.

Domus Aurea reopens with an improved ramp and entryway from an Italian maestro

2021-06-30T18:03:00-04:00

The Domus Aurea in Rome is open once again with a new feature following a 14-month hiatus after the coronavirus pandemic forced the 2,000-year-old palace’s shutdown.

Stefano Boeri Architetti helped welcome back the public with an improved ramp and new entryway featuring an exhibition titled “Raphael and the Domus Aurea: The Invention of the Grotesques.” The event will coincide with a show at the Scuderie del Quirinale observing the 500th anniversary of the death of the painter and architect.

Photo: Lorenzo Masotto

Originally the replacement home of 1st-century ruler, Emperor Nero, the Domus came back into prominence during the High Renaissance in large part due to its display of ancient grottos filled with grotesques. The Roman paintings were noteworthy enough to attract visits from influential figures throughout Europe including luminaries like Michelangelo and the Marquis de Sade.

Now, with help from Boeri, the curious can once again be transported through the maze of frescoed gall...

The Colosseum in Rome opens its ancient Hypogeum to the public for the first time

2021-06-30T14:59:00-04:00

A newly restored Hypogeum has been unveiled in Rome over the weekend, opening the catacombs of the famed Colosseum to the public for the first time in its 2,000-year history.

The Italian Ministry of Culture has announced that the little-seen section is finally open thanks to a decades-long restoration project funded in part by a $29.8 million gift from fashion brand Tod’s.

Planned on a whim at the end of the first century AD, the Colosseum was the last great project under Emperor Vespasian and incorporated a labyrinth-like, wood-covered underground area (added under Emperor Domitian) used as a multi-purpose space by the building's grounds crew and as barracks and staging area for gladiators. Just like the ancient fighters, who were meant to be hidden as they entered the arena floor through a series of tunnels, visitors are now free to explore.

The Colosseum’s final Venatio came in ...

Take a look at the newly unveiled high-tech floor for the Colosseum arena in Rome

2021-05-03T17:03:00-04:00

The floor of Rome’s Colosseum, where gladiators once fought against each other and wild animals, is set to be restored to its former glory. Milan Ingegneria, a structural engineering and architecture firm, has won an €18.5m (£16m) bid to build and install a retractable arena floor that will allow visitors “to see the majesty of the monument” from its centre, culture minister Dario Franceschini said on Sunday.

Plans for the arena floor restoration of the Roman Colosseum (completed in AD80 under Emperor Titus) first appeared on Archinect in January.

Concept for the new Colosseum arena floor. Video via MiC_Italia on YouTube.

Milan Ingegneria's concept of a retractable arena floor allows the structure to be flexible and easily removed again should the need arise. If construction goes according to plan, the new attraction will open in 2023.

A €10 million project will be offered to the designer who can recreate the original Colosseum arena floor in Rome

2021-01-12T12:39:00-05:00

The Italian culture ministry is offering the €10 million project to the designer who can turn the clock back 2,000 years to when 35,000 Romans bayed for blood in the ancient stadium.

According to The Times, "Italy is looking for a brilliant engineer to reinstall the Colosseum arena floor, complete with trapdoors and the hidden lifts that allowed wild animals to leap out and menace gladiators."

Previously on Archinect: Mayor-less Rome's logistical battle to invest in its past and present

"We want to give an idea of how it was and we are seeking proposals from around the world," said Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, as reported by The Times.

Archaeologists uncover ancient snack bar in Pompeii

2020-12-29T14:46:00-05:00

Researchers said on Saturday they had discovered a frescoed thermopolium or fast-food counter in an exceptional state of preservation in Pompeii. The ornate snack bar, decorated with polychrome patterns and frozen by volcanic ash, was partially exhumed last year but archaeologists extended work on the site to reveal it in its full glory.

The astonishingly well preserved and nearly 2,000-year-old snack bar, or Thermopolium, in Pompeii's Regio V has re-emerged in its entirety, along with food residues, animal bones, and victims of the AD 79 volcanic eruption, following a lengthy excavation effort.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pompeii (@pompeii_parco_archeologico)

"The decorations on the counter — which were the first to emerge during the excavation — comprise the image of a Nereid riding a sea-horse in a marine setting on the front, while the shorter side features an illustration which is probably of the shop itself, like a kind of trademark," reports the Archaeological Park of Pompeii's website. "It was not by chance that the discovery during the excavation of amphorae, located in front of the counter, reflected the painted image."

Contemporary art project opens in ancient ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii

2018-05-21T18:10:00-04:00

The House of the Beautiful Courtyard at Herculaneum and the House of the Cryptoporticus in Pompeii will each be the site of a new installation by artist Catrin Huber, as part of a Newcastle University project designed to create a new dialogue between contemporary art, Roman wall painting and archaeological remains.

Expanded Interiors at Herculaneum. Photo: Amedeo Benestante.

"By investigating two distinctive Roman houses, our project sets out an exchange of knowledge between old and new," the Expanded Interiors project website explains. "We are exploring what Contemporary painting and site-specific fine-art practice can learn from the often incredibly sophisticated and complex works of the Roman wall painters. In turn we investigate how contemporary fine-art practice can provide new perspectives on the spatial configurations of ancient Roman homes and the artefacts that adorned them. In so doing we will bring Roman artefacts (their replicas) back to the sites, while exploring new forms for displaying archaeological artefacts at Roman archaeological sites."

Expanded Interiors runs from May 17 – Jan 15, 2019 at Herculaneum and Jul 14 – Jan 15 at Pompeii.

Archaeologists uncover "Little Pompeii," ancient Roman settlement in France

2017-08-08T14:25:00-04:00

A major Roman settlement discovered south of Lyon in France is the “most exceptional excavation of a Roman site in 40 or 50 years”, says the chief archaeologist working on the project. Benjamin Clément, who works for the Swiss conservation company Archeodunum, is leading a team of 15 archaeologists at the dig in Saint Colombe, a small town near the city of Vienne.

The well-preserved ancient Roman neighborhood, dubbed "Little Pompeii" by the archaeologists, covers an area of almost 7,000 square meters (75,000 square feet) and was discovered during construction of a housing complex near the city of Vienne.

The mystery of how Roman concrete has withstood the sea for millennia is finally solved

2017-07-06T13:09:00-04:00

Modern, steel-embedded concrete seawalls tend to need repair after a few decades of erosion from the endless procession of waves, but the Roman pier at Portus Cosanus in Orbetello, Italy has remained solid for almost two thousand years. Scientists have finally figured out the missing ingredient of this material's longevity, and it turns out to be mineral growth after the concrete has set.

Ancient Roman Seawall at Portus Cosanus in Orbetello. Image: Wikimapia

This concept of concrete that grows after it has been set is something that others have been experimenting with recently, but The Telegraph breaks this new discovery down thusly:

Roman engineers made concrete by mixing volcanic ash with lime and seawater to make a mortar, and then added chunks of volcanic rock. The combination of ash, water, and lime produces what is called a pozzolanic reaction, named after the city of Pozzuoli in the Bay of Naples, triggering the formation of crystals in the gaps of the mixture as it sets.

Th...

Excavating ancient Rome beneath London's streets

2016-02-05T17:57:00-05:00

During an excavation for a new office development at 21 Lime Street, a team from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) found the millimeter-thin fresco nearly 20 feet below street level. Dating to the late 1st century AD, and the first decades of London, it’s one of the earliest surviving frescos from Roman Britain. [...] The rare, ornate wall painting is likely to have decorated a reception room for party guests at the home of a wealthy Roman citizen.

A statement issued by MOLA explained, “The fate of this rare wall painting was literally sealed in the ground ... In AD 100, construction of the 2nd Forum Basilica, the main civic center for the city and the largest Roman building ever built north of the Alps, began. In advance of construction of the Forum the area was flattened. The painted wall was deliberately toppled and the Forum immediately built over it, incredibly preserving the fresco for nearly 2000 years.”

More excavations from the News:

Mayor-less Rome's logistical battle to invest in its past and present

2015-12-21T17:43:00-05:00

While some residents may be more concerned about their overflowing rubbish bins than maintaining ancient monuments, for many the survival of modern Rome will depend on the preservation of the past.

As Rome moves forward without a mayor, the city is taking on the restoration of both the Colosseum and the Porta Maggiore basilica while updating the modern city.

More about Rome on Archinect:

Was Rome really a "City of Marble"?

A breakneck tour of contemporary architecture in Rome

Contemporary Art in an 8th-Century Roman Church

Take a Tour of Ancient Rome, 320 CE

2015-03-20T12:58:00-04:00

[The] extended tour [is] guided by renowned “virtual archaeologist” and overseer of the Rome Reborn project Dr. Bernard Frischer...in dialogue with Dr. Steven Zucker, whose...questions ensure that, while we take in the spectacle of Rome’s impressive architecture (to say nothing of its equally impressive aqueducts) as it looked back in 320, we also think about what the real flesh-and-blood people who once lived there actually did there...

Was Rome really a "City of Marble"?

2015-03-09T16:38:00-04:00

Architectural historian Diane Favro of [UCLA], has employed advanced modeling software to reconstruct the city of Rome in its entirety over the period of the rule of Augustus Caesar, from 44 B.C. to A.D. 14. According to legend, Augustus boasted, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble”... She found that only a small proportion of the buildings in Augustan Rome were converted from brick to marble, and that they would have been difficult to see from ground level.

Favro explains that while much of Rome was left untouched by Augustus' urban project, the traffic caused by bringing the large quantities of Carrera marble through the city likely created the illusion "that Rome had been transformed into marble."