In Spain, archaeologists have taken aerial photographs using advanced laser scanning technology in the ancient Roman city of Irunha Velei. The lasers have helped them find a Roman-era circus that is invisible to the naked eye.
Live Science reports on the discovery. Researchers have used laser scanning technology to create a detailed map of the ancient Roman city of Irunha Velei.
Laser beams can penetrate beneath the surface and reveal objects invisible to the naked eye. This is what happened in this case: previously unknown structures were discovered, including the ruins of a “circus,” which was essentially a huge stadium with a capacity of 5,000 spectators.
Scientists believe that chariot races were held in this arena during Roman times. The presence of such a large-scale structure suggests that the city itself was very large at that time. It was located in the north of modern Spain.
The town of Iruña Velei is located in the province of Álava in the Basque Country. Its arena was only the third to be found on the Iberian Peninsula. Scanning helped determine that its length was 280 metres and its width 72 metres.
Overall, all the structures detected by the laser are spread over an area of 251 hectares. In addition to the arena, the lidar identified arcaded streets, residential neighborhoods, places of worship, and water supply and sewage facilities in the city.
“Chariot racing was a popular pastime in ancient Rome,” the paper writes. “In fact, there was an entire industry – much like today’s sporting fanatics, enthusiasts would attach themselves to their favourite stables of horses and charioteers and travel from great distances to cheer on them.”
