Rome’s excavations revealed an archaeological site where an ancient graveyard was found. It contained bone fragments as well as a headstone for a terracotta-dog.

Archaeologists were called in after workers laying pipes for utility firm Acea on the Via Luigi Tosti in the city’s Appio Latino quarter came across the buried tombs.

The Via Latina, literally the “Latin Road”, was once lined by them. It is one of the oldest-lain Roman roads that ran south-east from the city walls.

The excavations of the group found the remains of an unknown young man, which appeared to be buried in the earth. 

According to the experts, the canine bust — small enough to fit in the palm of a hand — resembles decorative parts of drainage systems used on sloping rooms.

The little dog statue seems to have lost or never had a drain hole. It was made for aesthetic reasons.

MailOnline received a statement from the RSPCA’s dog experts stating that it was difficult for them to pinpoint the exact breed because there is no scale. 

“It could be representative for a large breed of dogs or a small toy dog,” a spokesperson explained. Noting that dog breeds also have evolved significantly in the past two millennia, she added,

They added that dogs were selectively bred for desired qualities during the Roman period.

The Romans kept dogs as both pets and to guard property and livestock, with one popular breed being the Molossian hound, which came from ancient Greece.

Historians believe that they also kept dogs that would have been similar in appearance to to modern Irish wolfhounds, greyhounds, lurchers, Maltese and more.

Excavations in Rome have uncovered an ancient burial complex that held an intact ceramic funerary urn containing bone fragments and a terracotta dog's head statue (pictured)

Excavations made in Rome revealed an archaeological site that housed a ceramic funerary vessel containing bone fragments.

Archaeologists were called in after workers laying pipes for utility firm Acea on the Via Luigi Tosti (pictured) in the city's Appio Latino quarter came across the buried tombs

When workers at Acea, a utility company in Milan laid pipes on Via Luigi Tosti (pictured), archaeologists discovered the hidden tombs.

They would have once lined the Via Latina (literally, the 'Latin Road') which was one of the earliest-lain Roman roads and that runs south-east out from the old city walls (pictured in red)

They might have lined up the Via Latina (literally the ‘Latin Road), which is one of Rome’s earliest roads. This road runs south from the walls of old Rome (shown in red).

THE VIA LATINA

The funerary complex was found at the end of the Via Luigi Tosti, at the intersection with the Via Latina.

This is one of the oldest examples of a Roman Road which ran some 124 miles  (200 km) south-eastwards from Rome.

The route started at what would later become the Porta Latina — a gate in the city’s Aurelian Walls, which were built between 271–275 AD.

It led to the pass of Mount Algidius, from which it is thought to have forged a path to the Campania city of Capua.

Archaeologists think that structures comprising the funerary complex were built between 1st Century BC and 1st Century AD.

The Times reported that Daniel Porro (Rome’s Special Superintendent) said, “The discovery casts new light upon an important context.”

“Once again Rome shows significant traces of its past in its urban fabric. 

These three tombs were located at approximately 1.6 feet (0.55 metres) beneath the street surface.

Unfortunately, the archaeologists reported, the structures appeared to have been damaged by previous underground utility works, carried out in the area prior to the introduction of policies designed to protect the city’s heritage.

Each of the three tombs was built on a foundation made from concrete. 

One wall was made out of yellow tuff while the other had net-like walls. The third’s remains were contained to only a base showing signs of fire damage. 

Experts claimed that they found large amounts of colored plaster fragments in addition to the head of the Terracotta dog. 

The funerary complex, they added, appears to have been built using the front of an abandoned pozzolana quarry, as is evidenced by the characteristic cuts made into the bank of tuff (a rock made of volcanic ash) on which it appears to have stood.

Pozzolan is a name for material from volcanic origin, which the Romans used to make cement. It was also used by the Romans as an important ingredient. 

Adjacent to the tombs, the team's excavations also uncovered the remains of a young man who appeared to have been buried in the bare earth. Pictured: an archaeologist carefully excavates the some 2,000-year-old tombs in the Appio Latino quarter of Rome

Nearby the tombs were the remains of a young boy who seemed to be buried in the ground. The team also discovered the remains. Pictured: an archaeologist carefully excavates the some 2,000-year-old tombs in the Appio Latino quarter of Rome

The archaeologists believe that the structures making up the funerary complex were constructed between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. Pictured: the dig site, which lies near the intersection of the Via Luigi Tosti and the Via Latina

According to archaeologists, the funerary structures were created between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Pictured: the dig site, which lies near the intersection of the Via Luigi Tosti and the Via Latina

'The discovery casts new light on an important context,' said Rome's special superintendent, Daniel Porro, the Times have reported. 'Once again, Rome shows important traces of the past throughout its urban fabric.' Pictured: the dig site on the Via Luigi Tosti

According to the Times, ‘The discovery sheds light on an important context’, Rome’s special superintendent Daniel Porro stated. “Rome once again shows significant traces of its past through its urban fabric.” The dig site at Via Luigi Tosti

The three tombs were found at a depth of roughly 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) below the surface of the present-day street (as pictured). Unfortunately, the archaeologists reported, the structures appeared to have been damaged by previous underground utility works, carried out in the area prior to the introduction of policies designed to protect the city's heritage

They were located at approximately 1.6 feet (0.55 metres) under the current street surface. The archaeologists stated that the structure appeared to be damaged from previous underground utility work, which was carried out before the creation of city policies to preserve the city’s history.

Archaeologists were called in after workers laying pipes for utility firm Acea on the Via Luigi Tosti (pictured) in the city's Appio Latino quarter came across the buried tombs. They would have once lined the Via Latina (literally, the 'Latin Road') which was one of the earliest-lain Roman roads and that runs south-east out from the old city walls

After workers installing pipes in Acea’s Appiolatino quarter, on Via Luigi Tosti, discovered the remains of buried graves and called for archaeologists. The Via Latina, literally the “Latin Road”, was once lined by archaeologists. It is one of the oldest-lain Roman roads that ran south-east from the city walls.

Experts believe that only a small fraction of Rome’s remains have ever been found. Rome’s 2800 year-old history of occupation means that many of Rome’s past are now hidden beneath the layers of modern construction.

The new dig site on the Via Luigi Tosti is close to the Ipogeo di Via Dino Compagni — an underground tomb, or ‘hypogeum’, that was first discovered in 1954.

This structure — which, based on the stunning frescos within, has been dated to around 320–350 AD — would have been used for private burials.

The hypogeum is notable for containing a mixture of religious iconography, reflecting how some of its interred appeared to have converted to Christianity while other still adhered to worshipping pagan gods. 

The new dig site on the Via Luigi Tosti is close to the Ipogeo di Via Dino Compagni — an underground tomb, or 'hypogeum', that was first discovered in 1954. This structure has been dated to around 320–350 AD, based on the stunning frescos within (as pictured)

The new dig site on the Via Luigi Tosti is close to the Ipogeo di Via Dino Compagni — an underground tomb, or ‘hypogeum’, that was first discovered in 1954. This structure has been dated to around 320–350 AD, based on the stunning frescos within (as pictured)

DOGS IN ANCIENT ROME

Pictured: the 'Beware of the Dog' mosaic from the ruins of ancient Pompeii

Pictured is the mosaic ‘Beware of the Dog’ from the ancient Pompeii ruins

Dogs were kept as both companions and working animals in ancient Rome — both for the purposes of hunting (as ‘canis venaticus’) and to guard both households and livestock (as ‘canis pastoralis’).

Virgil, Augustan period poet, said it this way in his book ‘Georgics: ‘Never with them on guard need you to fear for your stalls a night thief or an onslaught Iberian brigands or wolves at your back.

A number of breeds appeared to have been popular during Roman times — including the huge Molossian hounds from Greece, as well as breeds comparable to modern Irish wolfhounds, greyhounds, lurchers and Maltese.

Diverse mosaics featuring guard dogs were excavated from Pompeii’s remains. Pompeii was the Roman city that was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius, in 79 AD.

The most famous — found at the entrance to the ‘House of the Tragic Poet’ — bears the caption ‘cave canem’, or ‘beware of the dog’.

Scholars argue that these warnings were not intended to benefit visitors or deter the unsolicited, but to safeguard smaller fragile dogs who might have otherwise been in danger underfoot. 

Pompeii has also yielded the skeletal remains of various dogs — including a well-known cast of one poor creature, within the ‘House of Marcus Vesonius Primus’, that appeared to have been doubled up in agony when it died.

Pompeii has yielded the skeletal remains of various Roman-era dogs — including a well-known cast of one poor creature, within the 'House of Marcus Vesonius Primus', that appeared to have been doubled up in agony when it died

Pompeii has yielded the skeletal remains of various Roman-era dogs — including a well-known cast of one poor creature, within the ‘House of Marcus Vesonius Primus’, that appeared to have been doubled up in agony when it died

Canines were not the only animals to be kept as companions, however — with written records more commonly attesting to the keeping of caged birds, which was apparently especially popular among Roman women.

Over 700 references can be found in Roman poetry and aviculture. Love poetry is a common example.

Wild birds being captured were often used to symbolize seduction, romantic pursuit and love. Caged birds however represented the ‘captured lover’ and dead or dying birds symbolised the end of a relationship.

Among the birds known to have kept as bets were blackbirds, nightingales and parrots — as noted by Pliny the Younger in a letter from 104 AD.

The author described the events at the funeral of the teenaged son of the senator and notorious informer Marcus Aquilius Regulus.

The senator was said in his grief to have sacrificed his son’s animals to a funeral pyre — among whose number were the aforementioned birds along with numerous dogs and two Gallic ponies.