Giancola was carrying out repair works on behalf of the Municipality of Isernia. He told CNN on Thursday that he had no hope of such a big discovery.
Augustus’s head of marble (Facebook)
The two thousand year old Marble Head of Rome’s first emperor Augustus has been found in Italy. These heads have been discovered in the Italian city of Isernia in the south central region of Mollis. Archaeologist Francesco Giancola discovered this head while repairing a medieval wall that collapsed due to strong rains in 2013.
Giancola was carrying out repair works on behalf of the Municipality of Isernia. He told CNN on Thursday that he had no hope of such a big discovery. He said, we were digging behind the wall, then I saw a change in color under the ground. Giancola said, so we continued digging and a block of marble came out. I immediately saw that it was a head whose head and hair I felt part of a statue of Augustus.
Estimated to be between 20 BCE to 10 BCE.
The archaeologist said that he immediately called the officials, the mayor and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. According to archaeologist Maria Diletta Colombo of the local department of the ministry, a 35-cm (13.78-inch) head can be between 20 BCE to 10 BCE. He said, it was an important statue, but we do not know why it was present here. It may be that the statue of Augustus would have been given to a temple. But all this is only a guess, because we do not know where the temple is.
Augustus became the first emperor of Rome in 27 BCE
Colombo told that upon meeting this head of the idol, his companions shouted in joy and this is a moment that I will remember for a lifetime. He told that this head must have been of a statue of about two meters high. It is made from the same Lunigiana marble used by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It depicts a young Augustus Octavian, who became the first emperor of Rome in 27 BCE.
Isernia devastated during World War II
Eisernia, known in the ancient world as Acerania, was the home of those who were known as Sainamites. It later became a Roman colony. The city was partially destroyed during World War II. But it was re-erected. The city’s mayor Giacomo D’Opolonio told CNN that Isernia has a very ancient history. There are archaeological remains under the entire city. He said, this is a very important discovery for Isernia because it shows the presence of buildings of a certain importance.
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