Ancient sarcophagus found under Roman forum

On the territory of the Roman forum, archaeologists discovered the Hypogeum - a religious building that housed a sarcophagus installed here in the 6th century BC. it is Assumed that the underground structure was dedicated to one of the mythical founders of Rome – Romulus. The sarcophagus itself is made of the same material that formed the basis of the Capitol. Its length is 1.4 meters. Very close to this place is the "Black stone" (Lapis Niger), which belongs to the archaic cult of the VII century BC.

The find was found near the comitium (Curia-Comitium) - a place in the forum where people's meetings were held, and senators gathered to vote. The Hypogeum is located just below the entrance stairs to the comitium. The discovery was made a year after the start of the excavation. The Hypogeum may also refer to the network of tunnels under the Colosseum. These tunnels contained enemy prisoners and slaves, as well as animals that were released during gladiatorial battles.