London: A rectangular-shaped Roman temple, dating from the fourth century AD, has been discovered in the central Italian region of Tuscany.
The temple was found inside the Maremma Park by a group of archaeologists after three months of work, about three kilometres from the beach of Marina di Alberese, in the province of Grosseto, a recent report published in Adnkronos Culture And Media magazine said.
According to the team, the temple suggests there was once an important Roman settlement in the area which served as a trading port that handled goods coming from Africa and from the entire Mediterranean basin, the team said.
The goods would then be transported north to the city of Siena and the Etruscan town of Roselle or south towards the town of Heba (now called Magliano in Toscana) and the ancient town of Ager Cosanus, which is also located in Tuscany.
At the temple site, archaeologists found at least 50 Roman coins and a huge quantity of ceramic artefacts originating from all over the Mediterranean basin, especially from Tunisia.
The team will be carrying out further excavations in the area, where they believe there is another temple, dedicated to the Pagan goddess of hunting, Diana, the report said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, October 23, 2009, 14:14