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Via AKI - A fragment of an ancient Roman equestrian statue that once adorned the Colosseum has been found during excavations near the world famous Italian landmark.

According to the Italian daily, Il Messaggero, the fragment was discovered among the remains of an ancient pavement that once surrounded the amphitheater.

“A marble fragment measuring one meter by a meter and a half, is from an equestrian statue, probably a statue that embellished the arches of the Colosseum,” said archaeologist Silvana Rizzo, advisor to the minister of culture and tourism, Francesco Rutelli.

“The left flank of a rider with the detail of a leg, bridle and harness of a horse, as well as a part of a dagger scabbard are perfectly visible from the fragment,” said Rizzo, who has spent his life doing Roman excavations.

“They are details that suggest the statue of an emperor and left us with the hope that we could find the entire statue.”

According to Il Messaggero, the archaeological find is a reminder of how many pieces of ancient sculpture are discovered on a regular basis in the Italian capital when centimeters of soil are swept away.

Angelo Bottini, Rome’s archaeological superintendent, called the discovery of the equestrian statue “an exceptional discovery”.

“What’s clear is this new discovery is the umpteenth demonstration of the underground surprises in Rome that are a gift to us,” Bottini told the Italian daily.

The new discovery could shed light on the statues that once adorned the exterior wall of the Colosseum.

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, was constructed by the Emperor Vespasian in 72 A.D. and inaugurated by his son Titus in 80 A.D.

It was the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire and considered one of the greatest examples of Roman architecture and engineering.

But it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries due to earthquakes and pillaging.

The arches on the third floor of the Colosseum were decorated by three eagles, signs of power in Rome, while the second floor had statues of ancient gods such as Hercules, Apollo and Aesculapius.

Experts believe the uncovered equestrian fragment could have been part of a statue above the Imperial entrance to the amphitheater.

More archaeological discoveries are expected to be uncovered as the city proceeds with construction of its third subway line near the Roman Forum, in the heart of the Italian capital.

Construction on the 30-station line has already been interrupted several times as archaeologists have uncovered ancient and medieval treasures.

Under Italy’s strict conservation laws, the city must decide whether any historic objects are removed or preserved.

The 4.6 billion dollar subway line is expected to be completed in 2015.

From the Independent:

It still bears its thrilling ancient name, and the antique ruins on the Palatine Hill, the heart of ancient Rome and home of the Caesars, still gaze down upon it. But now it takes a feat of the imagination to see Circus Maximus as it must have been in its pomp.

Today it is little more than a long, narrow park, 340 metres in length, with a small archeological dig fitfully in progress at its south-eastern end. It can still hold a crowd: Genesis played a free concert here last year, and Bob Geldof persuaded Rome’s mayor, Walter Veltroni, to let him use it for the Italian leg of the Live-8 spectacular in 2005. The rest of the time it is the haunt of dog-walkers, joggers and the occasional conceptual artist.

But 2,000 years ago this was the most exciting spot in the city. Long before the building of the Colosseum, crowds in their hundreds of thousands packed the stands to watch 12 teams of charioteers scorch the earth. Gladiators and wild animals fought in mortal combat, and the central arena was often flooded so miniature triremes could battle it out for the Romans’ delight. If a particularly large number of people had to be crucified, Circus Maximus was the obvious place to do it.

The strip’s last big show was in AD549. Then the Barbarians arrived and laid it to waste, and for the next millenium and a half it was no more than a very large allotment with a fancy name.

But now, after the centuries of neglect and years of debate and campaigning, Circus Maximus is finally to get some attention. Beginning on 20 June, the city’s archeological authorities are to begin a careful and respectful restoration.

Eugenio La Rocca, Superintendent of Rome and lecturere in archeology at Rome’s Sapienza University, said: “We are trying to realise the old dreams that Rome has maintained from the 19th century up to the present. We will do our best to restore this site, which was of the utmost importance in our history. ”

[King] Tarquin drained the site 2,500 years ago, but it was Julius Caesar in 46 BC who erected the first buildings here, which were consumed by fire in AD64. With the Emperor Trajan, the performances began to assume the wondrous proportions that we only know today from films.”

Professor La Rocca stressed that he will not be attempting to restore the Circus to its former glory. “We will clean up the whole site to make it practicable and legible, and give it a simple curved enclosure,” he said. During chariot races the long track was divided by a raised spine of beaten earth, and this is one element the authorities plan to recreate.

They will also continue excavating, with greater urgency. Despite the fame of the Circus, Professor La Rocca told La Repubblica newspaper, “Paradoxically we have little information about it. Pliny claimed it could hold 250,000 spectators but others said 150,000, which seems much more likely.” Treasures recovered from the Circus and other sites will eventually find a home in a new Museum of the City of Rome, to be built a few steps away.