Thursday, October 8, 1998
Unearthing Horace’s secret
Photos by Patil Armeniam
(above) A top layer of soil is ripped apart by Trenchmaster Ali
Ait Kaci to reveal an ancient column base. (below) In memory of the
World Cup, the Horace’s Villa excavators had their own soccer
tournament. Max Goriany and Maximilliano Muzi dance their way to
the goal while Lev Libeskind looks on.
(above) Stefano Camaiani makes a final drawing of the nymphaeum
before it is filled with gravel. (below) Nutella’s visit to the
site inspires Luca Passalaqua, Max Goriany, and Silvia Nerucci to
take a short break from picking, shoveling and troweling. (below
image) – [Clockwise from top left] Diana Raiano, Laura Cerri,
Monica De Simone, Silvia Nerucci, Luca Passalaqua, Ali Ait Kaci and
Stefano Camaiani spend a day indoors to analyze data while the site
gets drenched in the rain.
(below) An eventful season at Horace’s Villa comes to a close as
a bulldozer backfills the pool. One would never guess that a
5-by-5-by-5 feet trench was dug out of the side of that pool.The
tiny hilltop town of Licenza, Italy (population 900) buzzed with
excitement whenever the archaeologist working at the excavation of
Horace’s Villa came into town after a long hard day at work.
The real epicenter of activity was the one foosball table in the
only arcade in town. It would be difficult to tell which shouts
were louder, the ones heard at night or those that emanated earlier
in the day from the site. Those shouts most often meant that new
statues, columns, mosaics, or walls had been found.
Anything new found at this site was especially exiting since
archaeologist had excavated there sporadically since 1911. The site
was untouched since the early 1980’s, until Project Director
Professor Bernard Frischer of the UCLA Classics Department reopened
the excavation in 1997. The site will remain active until 2000,
thanks to the American Academy in Rome and the Archaeological
Superintendency For Lazio.
Until then, each summer the hills of Licenza will ring with the
voices of Professor Frischer, Field Director Gianni Ponti, the
archaeologist and volunteers; this will make Horace’s Villa as
alive as it was when Horace wrote his odes and poems praising the
ethereal beauty of the valley.
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