An Excavation in the Theater of Pompey, Rome

FAIN: RZ-50050-03

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL 60208-0001)
James Packer (Project Director: September 2002 to October 2006)

A second season of excavation and analysis of a portion of the Theater of Pompey, a prototypical Roman theater of the 1st century B.C. (12 months)

First, largest, and most famous of the theaters of imperial Rome, the Theater of Pompey was the prototype for all later Roman theaters. Until the end of the Roman Empire in the West, it remained the preferred venue for theatrical representations in the capital. Yet, despite its renown and architectural significance, its structure has almost completely disappeared-built into and buried under building near the modern piazza know as the Campo dei Fiori. Two nineteenth century excavations on the site by Baltard (1837) and Gabet (1865) cleared (and reburied) only part of the monument; neither investigation was ever completely published. The second season of excavation should thus continue to shed light on these architectural problems, and in addition, through study of objects found in the late antique, medieval, and renaissance fill cleared from the substructures of the cavea (Figs. 1, 2), will provide much new information on the post-antique history of both the Theater and the surrounding neighborhood.