Roman Empire's greatest mystery solved after founder's burial site located (2024)

Volcanologist explains stages of Pompeii eruption using sediment layers

The Roman Empire continues to turn up secrets and treasures even after ending thousands of years ago.

More recently, archaeologists working in southern Italy stumbled across a site that they believe might be the burial place of the great Emperor Augustus.

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian, was the founder of the Roman Empire and reigned from 27 BC until he died in AD 14.

Excavations carried out by researchers from the University of Tokyo at the northern foot of Mount Vesuvius have uncovered part of a building that they believe was used by Augustus.

Archive documents suggest that Augustus died in a villa on the north side of Vesuvius well before it blew its lid and choked the city of Pompeii in 79 AD.

Don't miss... Archaeologists find hoard of Roman relics discovered during A66 works

Emperor Augustus, who founded the Roman Empire, depicted meeting Cleopatra (Image: GETTY)

The building subsequently served as a memorial site in his honour, though the location of the villa is yet to be identified.

In the 1930s researchers uncovered the remains of a Roman villa that was initially hypothesised to be that of Augustus in Somma Vesuviana at the foot of the mountain.

However, fast forward to 2002, and a project by the University of Tokyo got underway that soon concluded that the building dated no further than the second century AD, a fair stretch after the eruption.

Still, more recent excavations carried out last year by Japanese researchers uncovered evidence of a building from an earlier period below the second-century structure.

Don't miss...
Mystery of Roman Britain unveiled with 'truly remarkable' discovery of coffin [REPORT]
Inside ancient Saudi Arabian lava tube that humans hid in 7,000 years ago [LATEST]
Remains of ancient human species found in kitchen floor tile [INSIGHT]

View of the sea and Augustus' statues from the heights of Mount Solaro near Naples (Image: GETTY)

It is this earlier structure that the researchers believe is the site where Augustus died.

Using radiocarbon dating and analysing the volcanic pumice covering the earlier building, the researchers found that the building was still functional before Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and that the volcano's ash buried it.

It is the first instance of a building aligning chronologically with the villa of Augustus that has been found on the north side of Vesuvius.

A kiln structure was identified by the archaeologists, perhaps connected to some sort of bathhouse, among the ruins of the building.

Much of the residences in and around Vesuvius like Augustus' were completely destroyed in 79 AD (Image: GETTY)

Dating from charcoal on the structure showed that the villa was occupied during the first half of the first century and that the kiln ceased to be used at some point after the death of Augustus.

This aligns with passages found in historical literature telling of how his villa fell into disuse after his death.

Although the research has thus far proved groundbreaking, more analysis is needed to pinpoint the precise location of the Emperor's villa.

• Egypt breakthrough after archaeologists discover 'mega-tomb'
• Archaeology breakthrough after 'treasures of Apollo' found beneath ancient ruins
• Stonehenge's mystery finally solved with breathtaking 3D 'acoustic' model
• Beautiful European city with an ancient 280-mile tunnel network underground
• Pompeii breakthrough as ancient scroll finally deciphered after 2,000 years