Short answers, pulled from the story.
Workers began digging the Cloaca Maxima sewer system in the 7th century BC to drain the marshy valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. This engineering feat transformed the low-lying wetland into usable ground for future construction.
The earliest structures included the site of the Comitium, sanctuaries dedicated to Regia and Vesta, and a small rectangular pit known as the Vulcanal. These early votive offerings indicate the area was originally dedicated to religious cults rather than political assembly.
Augustus completed the Forum's final form in 29 BC by constructing the Temple of Caesar and the Arch of Augustus at the southeastern end. This project established the definitive layout before later additions like the Arch of Septimius Severus in 203 AD.
During the Middle Ages, the location became designated as Campo Vaccino or cattle field between the Capitoline Hill and the Colosseum. The entire space was surrounded by Christian churches that replaced abandoned temples while rising ground levels resulted from accumulated debris.
Official excavations commenced in 1898 by the Italian government under Minister of Public Instruction Dr. Baccelli. State-funded excavations were led by Dr. Giacomo Boni until his death in 1925, pausing briefly during World War I.