Aspromonte, new discoveries along ancient Roman walls
Wall built by the consul Licinius Crassus in 72 BC to trap the rebels led by Spartacus
Aspromonte, new findings along ancient Roman walls.
An articulated program of research conducted by the Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria and the province of Vibo Valentia, In collaboration with the Aspromonte National Park, allowed the “rediscovery” of a wall structure which crosses for almost 3 kilometres the woods of the Dossone della Melia, overcoming steep differences in level, a plateau and, in the final stretch, even a stream.
The discovery of Roman weapons, which can be dated with certainty to the late republican era, makes the identification of the structure with the wall built by the consul Licinius Crassus in 72 BC to trap the rebels led by Spartacus and to prevent them from accessing any supplies.
According to the Greek historian Plutarch, “in a short time” the Romans dug a fortification “on the isthmus from sea to sea”, 330 stadia long and 15 feet wide and deep and flanked by a wall “of admirable height and solidity”.
Spartacus's story ended in Bruttium. Defeated twice by Crassus and after having unsuccessfully attempted to cross the Strait of Messina and bring the revolt to Sicily, Spartacus and his army were forced to take refuge in the Calabrian mountains where they were defeated again and where the Thracian gladiator met his death in battle.
The investigation activities carried out on the site have already allowed the discovery of numerous metal objects that can be dated between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, including some curved iron blades, a spearhead, two examples of pilum, a particular type of javelin used by the Roman army in close-range combat. A pommel perhaps belonging to a sword and a handle of a cutting weapon were also found. The research will continue: what is so far a working hypothesis may find a basis following the execution of broader and more in-depth excavation investigations already planned by the Superintendency in conjunction with the central bodies of the Ministry.
«The findings and related research that the central and peripheral structures of the Ministry of Culture are carrying out in Calabria demonstrate once again how much there is to discover and how vast our cultural heritage is.. A deposit of art and historical sediments unique in the world, concentrated above all in the South, which ranges over the millennia and which can represent an opportunity for cultural growth and awareness of our history and identity but also for economic and social development. With great determination, the Ministry will continue this action of research and valorization of what has been discovered", declared the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano.
«There are few cases in which the archaeological investigation manages to provide elements that allow the immediate identification of what has been found with sites or even specific monuments cited by ancient sources. More often this constitutes an opportunity for new knowledge, allows updates and new readings, pushes for the construction of new hypotheses and different interpretations of already known contexts. This is the case of mighty wall structure located near the Cancelo Pass, within the territory of the municipality of Ciminà (Rc), already known for some time to hikers who travel the Aspromonte paths, which can now be identified with the wall of barrier "from sea to sea", from the Ionian to the Tyrrhenian, built by Marcus Licinius Crassus in 72 BC to prevent Spartacus from obtaining the supplies necessary to survive the harsh winter in the Calabrian highlands on which the rebels, having failed to cross into Sicily, had to take up quarters», stated the Director General of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, Luigi La Rocca.
«This is thanks to the constant research and protection activity of the peripheral offices of the Minister and in light of the results of a brief but accurate investigation conducted by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Vibo Valentia, which allowed the discovery, in particular, of a significant group of weapons including a spearhead and two examples of pilum, that is, the final part of the javelins supplied to the Roman legions, dating back to between the 1st century BC This is a hypothesis that may find answers and confirmation following the expansion of the archaeological investigations that the Superintendency will be able to conduct thanks to the support of the Minister and the central structures of the Ministry of Culture", he added La Rocca.
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