Republic-era mosaic uncovered in Rome.

Archaeologists from the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome have uncovered a Republic-era mosaic at a house being excavated on the Palatine Hill in the city, according to a press release issued by the Italian Ministry of Culture on 12 December 2023. The house is believed to have belonged to an important Roman family of the period, and was built between in several phases between the middle of the second century BC and the early years of the first century BC, and is spread over several terraced on the side of the hill.

Section of a Republic-era mosaic uncovered on the Palatine Hill in Rome. Italian Ministry of Culture.

The mural was found within a large specus aestivus (banqueting hall) designed to resemble a cave or grotto, with a number of water features fed by a system of lead pipes. The mural is in a 'rustic' style, made using shells, glass and ceramic tiles, and pieces of different types of rock, unlike the more familiar mosaics of the Imperial-era, which are made entirely of small tiles (tesserae).

Detail of the materials which make up the Palatine Hill Mural. Italian Ministry of Culture.

The mural is split into four panels, separated by decorative pilasters (pillars set into a wall), and depicts a series of military scenes, including stacks of weapons topped with carnyx trumpets (which were associated with Celtic peoples, possibly implying the owner of the house had been involved in a victory over a Celtic group), several ships, and a city overlooking the sea (possibly indicating further military, and naval, victories).

The Palatine Hill Mural. Italian Ministry of Culture.

The owners of the house were clearly important figures in the late Roman Republic, wealthy enough to build a large and luxurious residence in a prestigious part of the city, and also seem to have been involved in successful military campaigns. However, this prominence may have been short-lived, as much of the Palatine Hill was re-purposed to form a series of grain warehouses during the Augustine Age, to the presumed detriment of owners of homes on the hill.

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Families evacuated from their homes after landslide at construction site in Rome, Italy.

Twenty two families have been evacuated from their homes after a landslide in Balduina, a residential district of Rome, which engulfed seven cars and may have undermined properties on the opposite side of the road, at about 6.00 pm local time on Wednesday 14 February 2018. The event occurred at a construction site, where work began on a new apartment block in October and a deep pit had been dug to facilitate an underground car park, and was triggered when the shoring on one side of the pit collapsed.

The scene of a landslip in the Balduina District of Rome that engulphed seven cars and led to nearby properties being evacuated. Giuseppe Lami/ANSA/AP.

The event happened after a day of heavy rain in the city. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall. However this in itself should not have been enough to cause the shoring to collapse, and the event has been linked to a water leak in the area between 25 and 28 January, which may have left sediments beneath the road weakened before this week's event.

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