Possible Villa of Augustus Uncovered Near Vesuvius: Could This Be Where the First Roman Emperor Spent His Last Days?

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The University of Tokyo, in collaboration with local archaeologists, initiated this excavation project in Somma Vesuviana in 2002.

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[{"selector":"#anim-92ec30e4-21e3-4394-9092-f31c5bccdbbd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.60509%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-965561ac-92e9-49ac-9e89-b88d4d666a30","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-38bc1ca2-7b71-4929-8a7e-5f885a4fe115","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1300,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e4d1fe2-15c6-47f7-81be-f52b0f63035f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fdde6e20-8a01-4e05-a070-12f4b20ed160","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f38656a3-822f-41e3-add7-d75510a20ecb","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-82b89f32-0558-47e3-ae52-0fc6f6fc5745","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17f0e785-0caf-4642-b900-52a17c29c290","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 222.22266%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples from the villa’s furnace indicated that the structure was in use during the first half of the first century AD, with no signs of later habitation, suggesting it may have been abandoned after Emperor Augustus' death in 14 AD. photo source: google photo source: google

While much research has concentrated on the southern areas, including Pompeii and Herculaneum, this discovery highlights significant destruction in the northern regions as well, caused by lava flows and pyroclastic surges from the eruption of Vesuvius.

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Throughout the broader excavation project, which began in 2002, researchers have uncovered numerous Roman objects, shedding light on the daily life of the villa's inhabitants.

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Despite the ongoing nature of the investigation, the University of Tokyo team's findings are already contributing significant knowledge to the field.

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The villa's excavation continues to offer crucial insights into the broader historical and cultural context of the Roman Empire during the first century AD.

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