9 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Unique Gems found in Claterna, known as the ‘Pompeii of the North’

Italian archaeologists have unearthed 50 unique jewels during ongoing excavations at Claterna, the ancient Roman site known as the ‘Pompeii of the North’. Along with the jewels, 3,000 coins were also found. Even more significant is the discovery of 50 engraved gems, suggesting the possible presence in the city of a workshop specialized in their production.

In the excavation of the archaeological site of Claterna, strategically located along the Via Emilia between the colonies Bononia (Bologna) and Forum Cornelii (Imola), archaeologists have made extraordinary discoveries that promise to transform this place into an archaeological park unprecedented in Northern Italy.

The jewel of the discovery, however, is an exceptional ‘quinarius’, dating back to 97 BC. This coin features a detailed depiction of a ‘winged victory’ writing on a shield, resting on a trophy. The clear presence of the writing ‘ROMA’ testifies to the celebration of military victories and the city’s connection with Roman power.

The discovery was announced on the Italian Ministry of Culture web page.

“We are facing the largest non-stratified archaeological area in Northern Italy,” Lucia Borgonzoni, the Italian undersecretary of state to the Ministry of Culture, said in the statement. “Given the importance and quantity of finds brought to light so far, we can probably speak of a Pompeii of the north.”

Archaeologists found more than 3,000 coins at the Roman site. Photo: Soprintendenza Bologna
Archaeologists found more than 3,000 coins at the Roman site. Photo: Soprintendenza Bologna

Lucia Borgonzoni stated that “the finds yield very precious and significant materials”. The discovery of the silver coins and colored gems, presumably produced locally, suggests that Claterna was not only a transit center, but also a lively commercial center.

Archaeologists also unearthed dozens of colored gems engraved with the likenesses of various deities and important structures, including the same theater.

Researchers have only excavated about one-tenth, or about 44 acres (18 hectares), of the city thus far; excavations at the site will continue. The ministry hopes to restore the theater in the future.

The declared objective is to transform Claterna from an archaeological site into an archaeological park of international importance. With a vastness of 18 hectares, Claterna is a candidate to become the largest non-stratified site in Northern Italy. Undersecretary Borgonzoni underlined the unique character of the site, announcing the financing by the Ministry of Culture of new interventions, with an allocation of approximately 450,000 euros for the period 2022-2024.

Probably founded as a crucial staging point between the two main colonies, Claterna, like many other settlements along the Via Emilia, occupied a regular position, corresponding to a day’s march for the Roman legions. Its location was between the hamlet of Maggio and the Quaderna stream, giving it strategic importance in the Roman road network.

On the left: the design of the ruins pressing from underground onto the lawn. On the right: the archaeological excavation in progress. Photo: ARCA Bolognese Apennines
On the left: the design of the ruins pressing from underground onto the lawn. On the right: the archaeological excavation in progress. Photo: ARCA Bolognese Apennines

With the beginning of the Roman colonization of Cisalpine Gaul and the construction of the Via Emilia, Claterna saw the light as a result of the convergence of another important route, perhaps the Via Flaminia Minor, which crossed the Apennines and connected the Emilian road to Arezzo. Founded at the beginning of the 2nd century BC, Claterna initially developed as a modest village, subsequently obtaining the status of municipium in the 1st century BC. and becoming the capital of an area between the Idice and Sillaro streams.

Like many cities of the Roman Empire, Claterna began to decline during the tumultuous crisis of the 3rd century. Affected by the economic and political impacts of Roman institutions, together with the barbarian incursions that characterized the era, the city saw a gradual impoverishment and demographic decrease. This process culminated in the definitive abandonment between the 5th and 6th centuries, during the post-fall period of the Western Roman Empire. Claterna turned into a rare example of a disappeared city in the Emilia-Romagna region.

Archaeologists, sinking their shovels into the history-filled earth of Claterna, have brought to light a unique heritage. Among the treasures brought to light are a Roman villa with extraordinarily preserved mosaics and evidence of the ancient plowings that still plow the land.

Soprintendenza Archaeology

Cover Photo: Roberto Macri/Soprintendenza Bologna

Related Articles

Ancient tomb with prayer-related murals found in China’s Shanxi

25 December 2021

25 December 2021

Archaeologists in north China’s Shanxi Province have found an ancient tomb dating back to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) with murals...

2400-year-old artifacts discovered in the Black Sea’s first scientific underwater excavation

25 March 2024

25 March 2024

Dozens of historical artifacts dating from the 4th century BC to the 12th century AD were unearthed in the first...

Archaeologists discover medieval a tableman gaming piece in Bedfordshire, England

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

Archaeologists in Bedfordshire, England, have made an intriguing discovery: a tableman gaming piece was discovered at a medieval site. Cotswold...

A Baptismal Surprise: Triton Baths in Southeastern Rome Converted into Early Christian Church

7 May 2025

7 May 2025

Recent archaeological excavations within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette Bassi, situated in the southeastern outskirts of Rome,...

2,400-Year-Old Puppets with Dramatic Expressions Uncovered: May Have Played Key Roles in Rituals atop El Salvador’s Pyramid

5 March 2025

5 March 2025

A recent archaeological find in El Salvador has unveiled a captivating glimpse into the rituals of the region’s Indigenous people,...

Thousands of ignored ‘Nummi Minimi’ Coins Found in the Ancient City of Marea in Egypt

11 December 2023

11 December 2023

Numismatists from the Faculty of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw have examined thousands of previously ignored small coins (Nummi...

Researchers decipher enigmatic ancient ‘Unknown Kushan Script’

13 July 2023

13 July 2023

A research team at the University of Cologne’s Department of Linguistics deciphered a writing system belonging to the Kushan Empire,...

Archaeologists, First-ever Roman-era Tombs Dug Directly into the Rock Uncovered in Al Bahnasa, Egypt

8 January 2024

8 January 2024

Spanish archaeologists made a ground-breaking discovery of rock-hewn Ptolemaic and Roman tombs, mummies, coffins, golden masks, and terracotta statues in...

A 2,500-year-old celestial map carved on the surface of a circular stone found in Italy

25 December 2023

25 December 2023

Two circular stones measuring 50 centimeters in diameter have been discovered in Castelliere di Rupinpiccolo, an ancient hilltop fortress in...

The three-headed statue of Goddess Hecate discovered in Turkey’s Mersin

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

In the ancient city of Kelenderis in Mersin, located in the south of Turkey, the statue of the 3-headed goddess...

City swallowed by sea now center of boat tours

10 September 2023

10 September 2023

The Kekova region, or Sunken City, which has remained under the sea after two major earthquakes in the sixth century...

4000-year-old Palace complex dating from China’s earliest known Xia dynasty unearthed

30 December 2023

30 December 2023

In Xinmi, in the Henan Province of Central China, a four-courtyard style palace complex from the Xia Dynasty (2070BC–1600BC), China’s...

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

26 June 2023

26 June 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, working with an Iraqi excavation team, have unearthed a...

A carved Hand Imprint unearthed in a 1,000-year-old Jerusalem defensive moat

26 January 2023

26 January 2023

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday that archaeologists discovered the remains of a moat and a mysterious hand imprint...

A New Late Ancient Necropolis Discovered on Hvar Island

10 June 2021

10 June 2021

The protective investigation in the garden of the Radoevi Palace in the town of Hvar on the Croatian island of...