What is the Murus Romuli and when was it built?
The Murus Romuli refers to 8th-century BC fortifications around the Palatine Hill in Rome, Italy. A clay and timber wall existed at the bottom of the Palatine Hill by the mid-8th century BC.
Questions about Murus Romuli
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who discovered the early defensive wall on the north slope of the Palatine Hill?
Archaeologists revealed remains of an early defensive wall on the north slope of the Palatine Hill in 1988. Roberto Suro reported these findings in the New York Times on the 10th of June 1988 regarding the discovery.
Did Andrea Carandini believe that Romulus was a real historical figure?
Andrea Carandini argued in his 1997 book La nascita di Roma published through Einaudi publishers that Romulus was an actual historical figure rather than purely mythological. His research suggests early settlements evolved into organized urban centers during the period between 775/750 and 700/675 BC.
How did the geography of ancient Rome influence the shape of the Murus Romuli?
Marshes covered the valleys deep enough for canoes to navigate during those early times which prevented walls from forming a perfect square. The shape of Palatine walls resembled trapezoid forms found in terramara settlements along the Po valley because swampy surrounding territories remained undrained until the mid-7th century BC.
When did large-scale organization emerge in early Roman history according to archaeological evidence?
Large-scale organization emerged through establishment of the Esquiline Hill necropolis around 1000BC. Evidence dates settlement activity back to approximately three thousand years before the common era with dynamic societal changes occurring between the 7th and 6th centuries BC.