Archaeologists believe they accidentally discovered a hidden roman empire in an “unprecedented” breakthrough.
A archeology team from the University of Cadiz in Spain set out last year in the hope of unearthing a single Roman settlement. However, thanks to cutting-edge radar technology and recent excavations, a whopping 57 Roman sites have been unearthed in the Sierra de Cádiz region of Spain.
The 57 separate settlements are believed to have all been connected by trade routes in the region, which is an undiscovered part of the Roman Empire, the archaeologists said. The settlements in the areas would have all been connected by the Guadalete River.
The research team, led by Macarena Lara, says these findings could contribute to a better understanding of the Roman Empire's presence in the Guadalete River valley more than 2,000 years ago – an area that was virtually unknown to history until now.
The team made extensive use of multispectral cameras and LiDAR technology to discover the dozens of Roman-era sites.
LiDAR technology has led to several groundbreaking discoveries in archaeology in recent years. It sends radar pulses underground to detect hidden objects.
Since May, archaeologists from Cádiz have begun excavations in a number of settlements, including the Roman villa 'El Canuelo' in Bornos.
The Romans settled along the Guadalete River after conquering Spain in 264 BC. However, it remains unclear when the newly discovered structures were built.
Lara, professor of archaeology at the University of Cádiz, said: “The data we have has allowed us to generate a solid base of archaeological information and documentation that will allow us to continue research in this area in the coming years.
“Our main objective is to continue carrying out excavations and investigations using non-traditional techniques and tools. These will be complemented by studying the contexts found. We will also analyse techniques on the documented materials. In this way, we can obtain a holistic view of the Roman settlement and the area around the Bornos and Arcos de la Frontera reservoirs.”
In 2021, the same university also discovered a well-preserved Roman bath complex in the sand of a beach in southern Spain.