Excavators have discovered a large four-wheel ceremonial chariot at a villa near Pompeii, an ancient city in southern Italy.
According to an announcement on Saturday from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Excavators found the bronze and tin chariot almost fully intact with wooden remains and the imprint of ropes.
“It is an extraordinary discovery for the advancement of our knowledge of the ancient world,” said the outgoing director of the park, Massimo Osanna.
The villa, north of Pompeii in Civita Giuliana, had a stable where three horses were found in 2018, including one which was harnessed. The chariot was found inside a double-level porch that probably faced a courtyard not far from the stable.
The Archaeological Park of Pompeii described the find as “extraordinary” and that “it adds an extra element to the history of the house.”
The carriage is decorated with sheets of bronze and red and black wooden panels. At the back, there are various stories engraved onto bronze and tin medallions. The villa’s ceiling is deciduous English oak, a material frequently used in the Roman age, and it was removed carefully to allow for further investigation.
Excavators first discovered part of the artifact emerges from the volcanic material on January 7. Weeks later, the entire chariot was revealed, miraculously intact despite the collapse of parts of the room that housed it.
The Archaeological Park of Pompeii moved the artifact to its laboratory to remove the remaining volcanic material. The park will then begin a lengthy restoration and reconstruction process.
“Pompeii continues to amaze with all of its discoveries, and it will continue to do so for many years to come, with twenty hectares still to be excavated,” said Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, in a press video Friday at Pompeii. “But above all, it demonstrates that valorization can occur, and tourists can be attracted from all over the world, while at the same time research, education and studies are being conducted…”
The park believes the chariot had a ceremonial use, like accompanying festivities, parades, and processions. This type of chariot has never been found in Italy before, instead resembling finds from Thrace, said the park officials in northern Greece.
