Rare Roman Gemstone Engraved with Mythological Figure Is Discovered in Italian Lagoon
BY FRANCESCA ATON
artnews.com
In an underwater excavation, archaeologists found a rare engraved Roman gemstone in the village Lio Piccolo, just north of Venice, Italy, Italy 24 Press News reported last week.
The cut agate gem is engraved with a mythological figure and is being considered an unusual artifact, particularly in an underwater environment. The quality of the jewel indicates that wealthy Romans might have visited the area.
The find is considered rare, in a lagoon environment it is one of the very few of this type ever found. A precious agate gem engraved with a mythological figure was found in Lio Piccolo: this is the result of the third excavation campaign. The submerged archaeological site dates back to the Roman age and is located in the Cavallino-Treporti area; the research is conducted by the Department of Humanities of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice under the direction of Professor Carlo Beltrame, assisted by Dr. Elisa Costa, and with the technical support of the Idra company of Venice. – News.Italy24
“In a lagoon environment it is a rather rare find, to date we have news of two other precious gems found in Torcello and at Barena del Vigno,” said Carlo Beltrame, who led the excavation alongside Elisa Costa, from the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, in a statement.
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