ARCHAEOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY—EXPLORING HISTORY WITH CHEMISTRY - Chemistry: Notable Research and Discoveries - page 166

Archaeologists working at the Santul Mare site in Romania
(Rechitansorin/Dreamstime.com)
empire stretched over much of the area surrounding the Mediterranean
Sea 2,000 years ago. Some of the structures from Roman times survive
today, such as the Colosseum, which is a huge arena that once seated
50,000 spectators, and aqueducts that carried water to Rome from the
surrounding area. Other remains of this long-ago era are buried un-
der the houses, theaters, office buildings, and roads of modern Rome.
(Much of the city today is about 20-50 feet [6-15 m] higher than in
ancient times because it is built on the rubble of the past.) Workers
digging at a new construction site in Rome often encounter an archaeo-
logical surprise. For example, during work to create an office building
in 2006, workers found a temple of the second century c.e. dedicated to
Emperor Hadrian's mother-in-law.
Rome has a fascinating history, which is known to a certain extent
through surviving documents written in Latin. Knowing the language
helps tremendously in interpreting archaeological finds. In other cases,
where records are sparse, confusion often develops. Many layers pile on
top of one another at sites having lengthy periods of occupation, as in
Rome, and archaeologists may have to sort through the layers without
having a map or a listing of who lived where and at what time.