Archaeologists unearth ancient Roman treasures in Naples

Rome, June 17 (ANI): Archaeologists have unearthed a number of ancient Roman treasures during excavation outside the southern Italian city of Naples.

Twelve ancient statues, columns and fragments bearing inscriptions from what appear to be monuments from the Republican and Imperial periods of ancient Roman history have been uncovered.

A head of the Roman emperor Tiberius bearing a crown of laurel leaves, two other male heads and a fragment of a painting are among the objects from the late Republican period in the 3rd century BC, discovered by a team of archeologists at the site in Rione Terra di Pozzuoli.

Two female heads were also uncovered.

One may be the head of an Amazon warrior from the 2nd century AD, while the second is believed to be a Roman empress from the late Julio-Claudian dynasty.

The dig also unearthed part of a sculpture of a horse and an antefix, a giant mask depicting a Gorgon or mythological beast dating from the 2nd century AD.

Other finds include four busts, a statue of a robed woman, another of a woman wearing a toga, and a frieze portraying two human figures.

The area is located on a hill and archaeologists believe it contained public buildings and houses overlooking the sea.

Only part of the site has so far been excavated.

The archaeologists are working under the supervision of the Italian culture ministry's archaeological department for Naples and Pompeii. (ANI)