Seasons

  • AIAC_32 - Forum Novum - 2004
    The study of the Roman town and bishopric of Forum Novum (Vescovio) in the Sabina is an initiative being undertaken as part of the British School at Rome's Tiber Valley Project. It uses a range of geophysical techniques (magnetometry, resistivity and georadar) and field survey, combined with the excavation of selected areas, to examine the layout of the centre and its development through time. The project began in 1997 and in the first instance concentrated on geophysical survey of the entire area with the aim of identifying the dimensions and layout of the centre. The survey confirmed that Forum Novum was a small centre, circa 4 hectares in size, composed mainly of public buildings. In addition to the excavated forum complex, the survey identified an amphitheatre, a temple, and possible warehouses, along with buildings of uncertain function. Just outside the centre, to the north east of the forum, the survey revealed a number of structures, including a villa, an associated funerary precinct and a major resistance anomaly which excavations later revealed to be a bath complex. (Helen Patterson, Stephen Kay) From 1998 to 2004 excavations were carried out of the amphitheatre, of the villa and funerary precinct, and the baths. A series of rich Republican tombs identified by the geophysical survey aligning a road into the ancient centre were also excavated. An area behind the church of Santa Maria in Vescovio is also being investigated, revealing a long sequence of occupation from the Republican period through until the Middle Ages. In 2004 a joint collaboration was also established with the University of Perugia under Prof. Filippo Coarelli. Excavation was undertaken of two areas of the forum complex, including a temple identified by the geophysical survey, and the results have shed new light on the earliest Republican phase of the centre. The geophysical research programme is conducted by Dean Goodman (University of Miami), Yasushi Nishimura (Nara Cultural Institute of Japan), Salvatore Piro (CNR-ITABC), Vince Gaffney and Meg Watters (University of Birmingham).

Media

Name
Forum Novum
Year
2004
Summary
en The study of the Roman town and bishopric of Forum Novum (Vescovio) in the Sabina is an initiative being undertaken as part of the British School at Rome's Tiber Valley Project. It uses a range of geophysical techniques (magnetometry, resistivity and georadar) and field survey, combined with the excavation of selected areas, to examine the layout of the centre and its development through time.

The project began in 1997 and in the first instance concentrated on geophysical survey of the entire area with the aim of identifying the dimensions and layout of the centre. The survey confirmed that Forum Novum was a small centre, circa 4 hectares in size, composed mainly of public buildings. In addition to the excavated forum complex, the survey identified an amphitheatre, a temple, and possible warehouses, along with buildings of uncertain function. Just outside the centre, to the north east of the forum, the survey revealed a number of structures, including a villa, an associated funerary precinct and a major resistance anomaly which excavations later revealed to be a bath complex. (Helen Patterson, Stephen Kay)

From 1998 to 2004 excavations were carried out of the amphitheatre, of the villa and funerary precinct, and the baths. A series of rich Republican tombs identified by the geophysical survey aligning a road into the ancient centre were also excavated. An area behind the church of Santa Maria in Vescovio is also being investigated, revealing a long sequence of occupation from the Republican period through until the Middle Ages.

In 2004 a joint collaboration was also established with the University of Perugia under Prof. Filippo Coarelli. Excavation was undertaken of two areas of the forum complex, including a temple identified by the geophysical survey, and the results have shed new light on the earliest Republican phase of the centre.

The geophysical research programme is conducted by Dean Goodman (University of Miami), Yasushi Nishimura (Nara Cultural Institute of Japan), Salvatore Piro (CNR-ITABC), Vince Gaffney and Meg Watters (University of Birmingham).
it Lo studio della città romana e della sede vescovile di Forum Novum (Vescovio) in Sabina è parte del più ampio progetto Valle del Tevere della British School di Roma. La ricerca si avvale di una serie di tecniche geofisiche (magnetometria, resistività e georadar), ricognizione di superficie e scavo di aree selezionate per esaminare la pianta del centro e il suo sviluppo nel tempo. Il progetto iniziato nel 1997 si è in principio concentrato sulle indagini geofisiche dell’area con lo scopo di identificare le dimensioni e lo schema dell'abitato. La geofisica ha confermato che Forum Novum era un piccolo centro (ca. 4 ha.) composto prevalentemente da edifici pubblici. In aggiunta allo scavo del Foro è stato identificato un anfiteatro, un tempio e probabili magazzini con strutture dalla funzione incerta. Appena fuori dal centro, a nord-est del Foro, la geofisica ha rivelato una serie di edifici che includono una villa, un recinto funerario ad essa associato e un complesso termale.

Dal 1998 al 2004 sono stati scavati l’anfiteatro, la villa, il recinto funerario, le terme e una serie di ricche tombe di epoca repubblicana, ugualmente identificate tramite geofisica, lungo il tracciato viario che conduceva al centro. Lo scavo dell’area dietro la chiesa di Santa Maria in Vescovio ha rivelato una sequenza di occupazione compresa tra l’età repubblicana e quella medievale.

Nel 2004 è stata istituita una collaborazione con l'Università di Perugia, sotto la direzione di Filippo Coarelli. Lo scavo, condotto in due aree del Foro, ha interessato un tempio scoperto grazie alla geofisica e ha restituito informazioni importanti sulle prime fasi di epoca repubblicana del centro.

Il programma di ricerca geofisica è condotto da Dean Goodman (Università di Miami), Yasushi Nishimura (Istituto Culturale Nara del Giappone), Salvatore Piro (CNR-ITABC), Vince Gaffney e Meg Watters (Università di Birmingham).
Summary Author
Stephen Kay
Director
Giovanna Alvino
Vince Gaffney
Helen Patterson
Paul Roberts
Salvatore Piro
Filippo Coarelli
Research Body
The British Museum
University of Birmingham
Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio
Università degli Studi di Perugia, Dipartimento di Antichità e Archeologia
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – ITABC
Funding Body
Society of Antiquities
The British School at Rome
Consorzio del Museo dell’Agro Foronovanus
Provincia of Rieti
Townley Group of the British Museum
Team
Field director - Andrea Bradley
Field director - Will Clarke
Field director - Berni Sudds
Field director - Guy Seddons

Media

  • Gaffney et al. 2003
    V. Gaffney, H. Patterson, P. Roberts, S. Piro, 2003, Forum Novum-Vescovio: from Roman town to bishop's seat, in J. Rasmus Brandt, X. Dupré Raventós, G. Ghini (a cura di), Lazio & Sabina, 1, Atti del Convegno (28-30 gennaio 2002, Roma), Roma: 119-126
  • Gaffney et al. 2004
    V. Gaffney, H. Patterson, and P. Roberts, 2004, Forum Novum – Vescovio: the results of the 2003 field season, in J.R. Brandt, X.D. Raventós and G. Ghini (eds), Lazio e Sabina (Atti del secondo incontro di studi sul Lazio e Sabina, Roma gennaio 2004), Roma: 109-114.
  • Gaffney et al. 2004
    V. Gaffney, H. Patterson and P. Roberts (with contributions by D. Goodman, Y. Nishimura, S. Piro and M. Watters), 2004, Forum Novum (Vescovio): a new study of the town and bishopric, in H. Patterson (ed.) Bridging the Tiber. Approaches to Regional Archaeology in the Middle Tiber Valley. Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome, 13, London: 237-251.
  • Gaffney et al. 2004
    V. Gaffney, D. Goodman, Y. Nishimura, and S. Piro, 2004, Discovery of a 1st century AD Roman amphitheatre and other structures at Forum Novum by GPR, in Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, March 2004, Vol. 9, Issue 1: 35-41.
  • Patterson 2003
    H. Patterson, 2003, Roman towns in the Tiber valley and remote sensing survey. International Congress on Archaeological Science, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
  • Gaffney et al. 2001
    V. Gaffney, H. Patterson and P. Roberts with contributions by G. Barratt, A. Bradley, W. Clarke, D. Goodman, M. Harlow, Y. Nishimura, S. Piro, B. Sudds and M. Watters, 2001, Forum Novum-Vescovio: Studying Roman urbanism in the Tiber valley, in Journal of Roman Archaeology 14: 59-79.
  • Gaffney et al. 2000
    V. Gaffney, H. Patterson, S. Piro and P. Roberts, 2000, L'Anfiteatro di Forum Novum, in Archeo, Anno XVI, numero 10: 18.
  • Coarelli 2005
    F. Coarelli, 2005, P. Faianius Plebeius, Forum Novum and Tacitus, in Papers of the British School at Rome LXXIII: 75-98.

Location

Ancient Site Name
Forum Novum-Vescovio
Location
Santa Maria in Vescovio
Easting
12.6047879993
Northing
42.331377278
Country
Italy
Admin Level 1
Lazio
Admin Level 2
Province of Rieti
Admin Level 3
Tarano