Only a few feet below a vineyard in northern Italy lies a long-concealed treasure.
For nearly 100 years, archaeologists have searched below a small township called Negrar (NAY-grahr) for a mosaic that was once part of a Roman villa dating back to the third or fourth century A.D. Archaeologists have made many unsuccessful attempts to locate and unearth the mosaic. Then in May 2020, they finally uncovered part of it.
The mosaic, shown at right, is located about 4.5 feet under the grape vines. Archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar to avoid damaging the roots of the grapevines as they searched. They dug a narrow trench exposing the patterned tile flooring. Experts believe that studying the intricate pattern will help them identify whom the villa once belonged to.
Though a long process lies ahead, the archaeologists aim to fully excavate the area. The mayor of Negrar hopes to eventually open the site for visitors from all over the world to admire.