Ancient Lost City Found in Italy
Archaeologists in Italy have uncovered a previously unknown ancient city using drone technology near a well-travelled tourist route. The site features a forum and a theater, and its proximity to established tourist destinations may soon offer new experiences for history-minded travelers. The Italian Ministry of Culture emphasized the find's significance for both academic research and cultural tourism.
The newly identified city, believed to be the ancient Roman settlement of Forum Aemilii, was discovered in the archaeological site of Fioccaglia in Flumeri, Avellino. This location is situated along the historic Appian Way, a famed tourist route running from Rome to Brindisi that was recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The settlement is dated to have been active between the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Its establishment is thought to be connected to the construction of the Via Aemilia, a road commissioned by the consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in 126 BCE. A team from the University of Salento, led by Professor Giuseppe Ceraudo, utilized a combination of non-invasive technologies for this discovery. Drones equipped with thermal and multispectral sensors, along with geophysical surveys like magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar (GPR), created a virtual "X-ray" of the buried remains. This advanced technology revealed a well-planned urban center with a clear, orthogonal grid layout, typical of newly founded Roman towns. The scans identified not only the city's forum, the commercial and civic heart of the community, but also a previously unknown monumental theater, indicating the social and cultural significance of the settlement.
