While working in the second-largest city in Greece, a crew building a new subway system uncovered a gem for archeologists to explore. A section of ancient road constructed by the Romans has been revealed during the construction work. Measuring 70 meters or 230 feet long, it offers a glimpse at the main hub of travel that the city used about 2,000 years ago. In this article, you will learn more about this recent discovery.
One of the exciting headlines hitting June 2012 is the trip back into history that has been uncovered in the midst of Thessaloniki’s new subway plans. Made out of marble, the paved road located in the northern port city will be raised so that it can be placed on permanent display when the metro opens in 2016. The public got a chance to see the excavation site this month after information was released on the permanent display project.
Some of the large marble paving stones offer a look back into time, as some showed etchings of children’s board games or bore the marks left behind by cart wheels pulled by horses.
The excavation site was shown to the public on Monday, when details of the permanent display project were also announced. Several of the large marble paving stones were etched with children’s board games, while others were marked by horse-drawn cart wheels. The site also provided a cache of artifacts, including the remains of tools and lamps. Bases of marble columns were also found at the site.
An archeologist working on the project stated that the Roman road is estimated to be about 1,800 years old. Underneath this initial road, the remains of an older road constructed by the ancient Greeks have been uncovered ”“ this find is estimated to have been laid down 500 years earlier.
When roads are found on top of another, the remains shed light on the history of the city and how it evolved over the centuries. Interestingly, the ancient road and the side roads that run perpendicular to it closely resemble the city’s modern road patterns. Nearly 7 meters (or 23 feet) below the ground, you will find the center of the city. The ancient road follows the same kind of path and almost in the same direction as the Egnatia Avenue in modern-day Greece.
The archeological remains found under the road puts a glitch in the subway-building plans of the city ”“ causing delays to a project that began in 2006. However, archeologists are completely fine with this because it gives them a rare treat to explore under part of a heavily populated city. This is not the first time that something interesting has been discovered in associated with a Thessaloniki metro project. In 2008, workers found more than 1,000 graves. Some of the final resting places were filled with treasure, including jewelry, coins and pieces of artwork.