Archaeologists on the ancient Via Appia Antica in Rome, Italy, have uncovered a necropolis from the Imperial age and three mosaics, including one exceptionally well-preserved. The discoveries are part of a new excavation at Via Appia Antica 39, led by the University of Ferrara’s ECeC Laboratory.
The project is directed by Prof. Rachele Dubbini, chair of Classical Archaeology at the University of Ferrara, and funded by the Patrum Lumen Sustine – PLuS Stiftung Foundation and the cultural association L’Italia Fenice. Dr. Fabio Turchetta of ARCHEO is overseeing the fieldwork.
A peacock in stone
The mosaics once adorned the necropolis’s funerary spaces. The best preserved depicts a peacock at its center, framed by grape clusters in black-and-white tesserae. Researchers say the find adds valuable evidence to the funerary landscape along the Appia.
Ancient Roman Appian Way becomes Italy’s 60th Unesco world heritage site…
Italy’s Via Appia Antica, or Appian Way, earliest and most important road built by the ancient Romans, has been named a Unesco world heritage site, making Italy the country with the world’s highest… pic.twitter.com/vU1cPMhOfD
— Archaeo – Histories (@archeohistories) September 6, 2025
The site lies just outside the Aurelian Walls, at the crossing of the Appia and the Almone River. Scholars believe this area may also have hosted the Sanctuary of Mars Gradivus, a Roman god of war whose figure was strongly associated with Ares in Greek tradition.
The link highlights how Rome’s “queen of roads” carried shared Greco-Roman religious and cultural meanings.
Excavation doubles as a classroom
The dig also serves as a training ground for students from the University of Ferrara. Doctoral candidates in Environmental Sustainability and Wellbeing are involved in exploring the ways cultural heritage connects with communities.
Researcher Elena Maria Cautiş said the work treats heritage as both tangible and intangible. It ranges from the microhistory of the site to the wider evolution of the cultural landscape.
A Greek artist’s vision
The project has embraced an interdisciplinary approach, opening its scope to artists and architects. Greek artist and conservator Athina Koumparouli was selected through an international call; she described her proposal as a bridge project between archaeology and art, with a multidimensional focus on material culture.
By using contemporary discarded objects, she aims to narrate the excavation’s methods and imagine an archaeology of the future. Architect Francesco K.B. Simi designed a site layout that allows public access while respecting safety and sustainability, reinforcing the project’s principle of openness.
Heritage for the community
The necropolis and mosaics are already part of guided tours organized by archaeologist Chiara Maria Marchetti of the Ambrosia and Antica Via Latina associations. Residents have contributed reclaimed furnishings to equip the site, underscoring the project’s commitment to recycling and sustainability.
Prof. Dubbini said the excavation reflects a larger mission: to study the cultural landscape of the Appia, return occupied heritage to the community, and demonstrate how archaeology can connect past and present across cultures.
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