Latest news with #RomanCity
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Lost Roman city mentioned in ancient text that has baffled historians for centuries is FOUND on Brit hols hotspot island
A LONG-LOST Roman city that has baffled historians for centuries has finally been found on a Brit holiday hotspot island. A team of archaeologists believes it has discovered the one of two elusive Roman sites on the Spanish island of Majorca. 5 5 A celebrated Roman author called Pliny the Elder was the original source to write about two major cities, Tucis and Guium, which have never been found. The settlements are repeatedly referenced in historical texts, but there were never any clues as to where they actually lay. Now, however, a team of archaeologists believes their excavations at a 5,000-square-metre site on Majorca will finally turn up one of them. Beatriu Palomar, one of the researchers on the team, said: "The structures that are beginning to be seen respond to a perfectly planned urban development plan. "We would not be surprised if, when the centre of the explored area is excavated, we find one of the municipalities mentioned by Pliny the Elder that were never located. "It does not seem unrealistic to us to think that Tucis or Guium are hidden beneath these structures; we would even bet on the former." Guium and Tucis are the two most mysterious Roman cities, because almost all the others have been subject to close analysis. The absence of any physical evidence on their whereabouts up to this point had caused some researchers to question whether they ever even existed. But there are very encouraging signs coming out of the dig site called Son Fornés - next to the town of Montuïri in the centre of the island. Cristina Rihuete, researcher and director of the Son Fornés Archaeological Museum, said: "After what we've seen, and the amount of imperial material on the surface, as well as the tegulas (which clearly date high-ranking buildings, as they were purchased, just like amphorae and tableware), I'm very convinced that we have a very significant site in Roman times." There are two thousand years of culture and heritage preserved at the Montuïri site. Within the soil are buried relics from 1,500 BC, during the time of the pre-Talayotic culture, through to the end of the Roman period shortly after the first century AD. The team said: "There is no other site that we can say has endured so long and contains such long-standing evidence." Research at Son Fornés began in 1975. The identity of the site has never been confirmed - but may soon become clear. 5 5 Intriguingly, the breakthrough has come in a year when there no excavations have been carried out. Rather, progress has been made through clearing, refurbishing and restoring relics discovered beneath the dirt. Beatriu said: "The buildings that have been discovered show us a panorama that has exceeded all expectations. "An entire urban planning process from the Roman Republican and Imperial periods has been revealed, opening up unprecedented perspectives for understanding the indigenous settlement of those times and the transformations that occurred following the Roman occupation of the island." But one vital question remains: is the site Tucis or Guium? Beatriu said: "Tucis was a Latin oppidum, a city under Latin law integrated as a civitas stipendiaria, which gave it its own administrative and political organization within the Roman system. "It developed during the 1st century and could well have found its place in Son Fornés," and is therefore considered the more likely option.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- The Sun
Pretty historic city near two popular beaches is just 90 minutes from London
A ROMAN city in the UK is often named one of the best places to live in the country and its really easy to get to. The city of Chichester is the only city in West Sussex, and once was a huge Roman market town with baths and amphitheaters. 5 5 Now, the harbour city is often named one of the best places to live, most recently in 2023 by The Times, and happiest places to live by The Guardian earlier this year. The main attraction is the 900-year-old Chichester Cathedral, the only medieval cathedral in England that can be seen from the sea. There is also Fishbourne Roman Palace, the biggest Roman houses in the UK, as well as the open-air Weald and Download Living Museum. Yet thousands of car enthusiasts visit the city every year to go to Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual motoring festival. Taking place from July 10-13, this year it celebrates 75 years of the F1 Championship and 125 years of motorsport history. Here is everything you need to know about it. But if you want some beach time, one of the nearest is West Wittering Beach, often named one of the best in the UK. Bognor Regis is also just as close, if you wanted somewhere slightly busier. To get there, the city has its own Chichester Railway Station that has direct trains to London Victoria taking around 90 minutes. You have eyes of a hawk if you can find the hidden beach ball on this busy summer scene in less than three seconds_1 5 5 Trains also operate to Gatwick Airport, as well as Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton. While you can opt for a budget-friendly Premier Inn or Travelodge, there is also the fancy Grade-II listed Harbour Hotel Also in Chichester is Bosham, a tiny village compared to Venice which is home to England's best B&B. It is even in the famous Bayeux Tapestry, as it was where King Harold lived. One local SussexLive: "It looks completely unspoiled […] like an old fishing village you might find in Devon or Cornwall. It's still very quaint and old-fashioned." Or there is Concierge Camping, a five-star camping ground in Chichester named one of the best in the UK that even is compared to a fancy hotel. We've also rounded up the best things to do in Sussex.
