Source of the Aqua Traiana found at last?

[Melvadius]

Nothing like this story in the Telegraph of selfless research by film makers leading to the possible discovery of the source of the Aqua Traiana to make you think that there is hope for a less commercially driven world....although I do note the comment at the end of the article about trying to raise funding to professionally excavate the site.

 

Could this be a subtle request to also raise funds to film the project....?

 

A pair of British amateur archaeologists believe they have found the hidden source of a Roman aqueduct 1,900 years after it was inaugurated by the Emperor Trajan.

 

The underground spring lies behind a concealed door beneath an abandoned 13th century church on the shores of Lake Bracciano, 35 miles north of Rome.

 

Exploration of the site has shown that water percolating through volcanic bedrock was collected in underground grottoes and chambers and fed into a subterranean aqueduct, the Aqua Traiana, which took it all the way to the imperial capital.

 

Centuries later, it provided water for the very first Vatican, after Rome began to convert to Christianity under the Emperor Constantine.

 

The underground complex, which is entangled with the roots of huge fig trees, was discovered by father and son documentary makers Edward and Michael O'Neill, who stumbled on it while researching the history of Rome's ancient aqueducts.

 

They recruited a leading authority on Roman hydro-engineering, Prof Lorenzo Quilici from Bologna University, who confirmed that the structure was Roman, rather than medieval as had long been believed.

 

Using long iron ladders to descend into the bowels of the sophisticated system, they found that the bricks comprising the aqueduct's walls are laid in a diamond shape known as "opus reticulatum" a distinctive Roman style of engineering.

 

"A lot of the stone work bears the original Roman tool marks," Edward O'Neill said.

 

The underground labyrinth of galleries has remained almost unknown to archaeologists because for hundreds of years it was full of water.

 

It was only when modern bore pumps started directing the supply to the nearby town of Bracciano that the water level dropped dramatically and the subterranean complex became accessible.

 

The vaulted ceiling was decorated with a rare type of paint known as Egyptian Blue, which led the O'Neills to speculate that the grotto was a Roman nymphaeum a sacred place believed to be inhabited by water gods.

 

"The paint was very expensive to make, but it was painted all over the walls, which suggests an imperial link," said Mr O'Neill.

 

It may even have been inaugurated by Trajan himself in AD 109. Historical records show that the emperor may have been in the area on June 24 of that year.

 

By coincidence, the O'Neills first explored the aqueduct on June 24 2009 exactly 1,900 years later.

 

A coin minted during Trajan's reign commemorates the opening of the aqueduct, the documentary makers believe.

 

It depicts a river god holding an urn and a reed traditionally symbols of a spring and reclining in what looks like a cave, over what may be the representation of a tunnel.

 

The documentary makers hope to raise funds to pay for the site to be excavated by professional archaeologists.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Melvadius

[Melvadius]

This story has now been picked up by 'Discovery' who in addition to their article also have quite a good picture gallery of the underground remains of the aqueduct and associated nymphaeum.

[Crispina]

This story has now been picked up by 'Discovery' who in addition to their article also have quite a good picture gallery of the underground remains of the aqueduct and associated nymphaeum.

 

The pictures are wonderful. So glad you shared the link.

[Klingan]

Thank you very much for sharing this link, it is very much appreciated.

[Ted O'Neill]

Hey Guys,

 

I'm glad you're interested in our little discovery. You might also like to view some of the videos we have put up on the Vimeo site.

• A Walk in the Virgo shows our first filming session in Agrippa's Aqua Virgo, Rome's only still functioning Aqueduct after 2000 years.
  

The other videos are concentrated around the Aqua Traiana, and the recent discovery you have read about:

• Aqueduct Hunters One Minute does what it says on the tin, and introduces the subject very quickly if you have a slow internet connection.
  
• Aqueduct Hunters Seven Minute Trailer introduces the subject properly and is similar to the video that we showed at the Press Conference on Thursday.
  
• The Source of Trajan's Aqueduct is a little less polished but has more material, all from the site.
  

Compliments to the webmasters on a really interesting site, and thanks again for your interest.

 

Ted O'Neill

Director, MEON HDTV Productions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ted O'Neill]

Hey Crispina,

 

As you think our pictures are wonderful, there's some more here on our "Flickr" site:

 

Roman Aqueduct Hunting in the Twenty-First Century on Flickr

 

My best wishes,

 

Ted O'Neill

Director, Roman Aqueduct Hunting Project

 

 

This story has now been picked up by 'Discovery' who in addition to their article also have quite a good picture gallery of the underground remains of the aqueduct and associated nymphaeum.

 

The pictures are wonderful. So glad you shared the link.

[Crispina]

Hey Crispina,

 

As you think our pictures are wonderful, there's some more here on our "Flickr" site:

 

Roman Aqueduct Hunting in the Twenty-First Century on Flickr

 

My best wishes,

 

Ted O'Neill

Director, Roman Aqueduct Hunting Project

 

 

This story has now been picked up by 'Discovery' who in addition to their article also have quite a good picture gallery of the underground remains of the aqueduct and associated nymphaeum.

 

The pictures are wonderful. So glad you shared the link.

 

Very nice, I watched all the videos and viewed the photos from the links you posted. It's all so interesting and exciting to me. Thank you again.

[Klingan]

Thank you for the additional material Ted, I must say that I'm impressed simply by the fact that you take your time to become a member here and post in the topic.

 

Anyway, do you have any written material about your discovery? I have studied aqueducts for 3 years (I was actually talking a walk/crawl through the aqueduct in Argos just days ago) or so and I would be interested to compare your data to some other sources (that is, if I have any time to spend on anything but my scholarship in Athens).

 

Patrik

[Ted O'Neill]

Thank you for the additional material Ted, I must say that I'm impressed simply by the fact that you take your time to become a member here and post in the topic.

 

Anyway, do you have any written material about your discovery? I have studied aqueducts for 3 years (I was actually talking a walk/crawl through the aqueduct in Argos just days ago) or so and I would be interested to compare your data to some other sources (that is, if I have any time to spend on anything but my scholarship in Athens).

 

Patrik

 

Hey Patrik,

 

Professor Lorenzo Quilici says:

 

The Aqua Traiana was the penultimate of the eleven great aqueducts which supplied ancient Rome. It was inaugurated on June 24th, 109 A.D. to supply the urban zone of Trastevere and the city at large. It remained continuously functional, save a few interruptions, up to the period of the barbarian sieges, when Goths and Lombards seized and cut it. In the early 1600s, Pope Paul V undertook its restoration in order to guarantee the abundant provision of clean fresh water both to the Vatican and to the

[Melvadius]

Ted,

 

Let me add my thanks for the additional material which is as informative as it is generally interesting. This looks like a very worthwhile project which I hope you are successful with.

[Melvadius]

Archaeology Magazine are carrying an article which both provides as well as some background material some updates on this ongoing project:

 

Few monuments that survive from antiquity better represent Roman pragmatism, ingenuity, and the desire to impress than the aqueducts built to fulfill the Romans

[Artimi]

Wonderful pictures and information. my computer kept stopping about mid way through the 7 min version, but I saw enough to be envious of all of you.

 

btw would those be poisonous snakes? of just those helpful ones.?

 

I have marked the Aquaduct Hunters site for later reading.

 

Thank you

[Ted Oneill]

Dear Friends of Aqueduct Hunting

 

Please take a look at our technical information about the Aqueduct Source and Nymphaeum recently re-discovered at Santa Fiora. You can see all the details at:

• 
   
  
• Aqueduct Tunnel / Tunnel Diagram High Res
  
• Plans and Cross Sections of Nymphaeum
  
• The Aqueduct Tunnel
  
• Aqua Traiana Sources
  
• The Spring Chamber
  

 

In March this year, we also published a new trailer video, on the website of Archaeology Magazinewho featured our discovery on the front page of their March/April issue.

 

 

Also worth a look: [in Italian]

 

• 
   
  
• http://www.lagone.it/cultura-pericolo-ninfeo-santa-fiora
  
• http://sarastampa.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/segni-particolari-cacciatore-di-acquedotti/
  

 

Nothing like this story in the Telegraph of selfless research by film makers leading to the possible discovery of the source of the Aqua Traiana to make you think that there is hope for a less commercially driven world....although I do note the comment at the end of the article about trying to raise funding to professionally excavate the site.

 

Could this be a subtle request to also raise funds to film the project....?

[Melvadius]

Ted,

 

Thanks for posting further updates on your project. It's good to see you back again even if under a new sign-on.