Special Episode – The Archaeology of Early Rome with Darius Arya The Partial Historians

In this very special episode we're joined by archaeologist Darius Arya. Darius has lived and worked as an archaeologist in Rome for over twenty years! 















Special Episode - The Archaeology of Early Rome with Darius Arya







We wanted to learn more about the archaeological record for the early period of Rome's history. While we've been focused on reading and interpreting the literary sources of Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, there's a wealth of other evidence for the ancient past to consider. Archaeology is fundamental in revealing elements of the past that aren't written down. Even more interesting is that the archaeological remains can suggest new interpretations about the past that conflict or add complexity to the literary sources.







You may have seen Darius on television. He's presented a number of documentaries on the ancient world and we are absolutely thrilled to explore Rome's early history with his expertise. Things to listen out for in this episode:







* The importance of topography* The connections between the Etruscan peoples and the Romans* Discussion of how the Etruscans dominate the archaeological record compared Rome's other early neighbours, the Volscians and the Aequians* What we can say about the Sabine peoples* Key sites of interest when thinking about early Rome and her neighbours







We recommend having a map handy to spot all the places that are touched on in this far-ranging and engaging conversation. The map below has some of places mentioned on it and also provides some guidance on the languages of the different regions. 















The Linguistic Landscape of Central Italy at the beginning of Roman expansion. Courtesy of Susana Freixeiro~commonswiki via Wikimedia Commons







Darius Arya can be found on social media, posting about Rome and the sites he's working on and the museums he's collaborating with. You can catch him on Twitter @DariusAryaDigs, Instagram @dariusaryadigs, and his limited series podcast Darius Arya Digs.He is the director of The American Institute for Roman Culture. Their mission "to preserve and protect Rome’s extraordinary and unique cultural legacy through education, outreach, and action." He is also the director of Ancient Rome Live which is dedicated to providing free-to-access resources for learning about ancient Rome.







Guide to Locations and Peoples







Aequians - the Aequian peoples are an Italic group that inhabited the Apennine mountains east of Rome and to the south of the Sabines.







Albano - in the Castelli Romani region to the south-east of Rome. There is a a lake and a hill named for Albano







Anio, river - The Anio starts in the Apennines east of Rome and flows through Tivoli before joining the Tiber







Antium - south of Rome and slightly east, a coastal city







The Castelli Romani region (please note this is to the south-east not south-west of Rome!) - includes the modern towns which are also ancient sites: Albano, Castel Gandolfo, Frascati, Tusculum. Often associated with the Aequians in the literary sources for the early Republic.







Castel Gandolfo - in the Castelli Romani region to the south-east of Rome. Most famous now as the location of the Pope's summer residence!