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Emperor (Maxentius') scepters found in Rome
June 22nd, 2006

A new astonishing discovery has been done on the Palatine Hill in Rome.
A sealed wooden box has revealed at least three  scepters and some ceremony lanceas very well known to be used for insignas.
The exceptional discovery has been announced by the archeologist Clementina Panella.
Who said that on the Palatine Hill everything has been already discovered? In the last 5-6 years archeologist have revealed new ground layers with tombs and early roman artefacts and now they have discovered a collapsed wooden box originally hidden with a silk and linen textile believed to be vexilla (flags). In the box the unique find: four lancea iron points covered with oricalcum and possibly used to hold standards according to the very common iconography, two pikes and two alabards possibly cerimonial "weapons", and, overall, three scepters with the handgrip in oricalcum and a carved flower and a calcedonium globe and a number of glass spheres, believed to be a symbolic representation of the earth.

Some catastrophic event forced someone to hide them and another similar event didn't allow to get them once possible.
The box was located in a hole under a staircase aside to the Via Sacra, by the team from La Sapienza University leaded by Clementina Panella the expert of the ground in front of the Colosseo that in 2003 brought to the light the Meta Sudans of Augustus.
Experts said are striking for their completeness, in fact digs usually turn up only fragments, and the fact that they are the only known artifacts of their kind.
The scepters and all other equipment found are dated early IV century AD, and it is thought they belong to Emperor Maxentius. They were probably hidden to be preserved from the enemy, in that case Constantine, that was approaching the city of Rome.
Some of the objects, which accompanied the emperor during his public appearances, are believed to be the base for the emperor's standards, rectangular or triangular flags (vexillum), officials said.
All the objects are now under restoration and it will be displayed in one of the national museums in Rome.


 

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