Roman brick aqueduct tunnel discovered in nature reserve –

The remains of a Roman aqueduct have been discovered in the Bosacchio Nature Reserve on the Adriatic coast in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. During the construction of a natural gas pipeline in the hilly terrain of the protected area near the town of Colonia Spiagia, an underground brick structure was discovered. The pipeline may date to the Imperial period (1st to 4th century AD), or possibly to a later period.

Previous archaeological surveys of the area between the 1980s and early 2000s found evidence of a thriving Roman town with pottery kilns used for the production of amphorae, a large country house from the late Republican era, and two cemeteries and a fortress guarding the strategically important port. The Tordino River flows into the Adriatic Sea. Roman inscriptions found in a nearby monastery record the construction of an important public building by the local consul M. Petulcius e L. Satrius.

The local amphora factory was involved in the construction of the aqueduct. Large fragments of broken amphora were used to construct the base of the pipe. The sides and vaulted ceilings were then constructed using neat bricks and hydraulic mortar. The pipeline extends from west to east, passing through the mountain.

Unfortunately, the structure was damaged by a bulldozer’s bucket during construction, leaving a hole in the roof of the brick tunnel, but the workers immediately realized they had stumbled upon something of archaeological significance and stopped their work Things are being done to prevent any further harm. The bricks are still there and the hole should be relatively easy to repair. Staff reported the discovery to the Archaeological Heritage Supervisory Authority, and the gas pipeline modernization project has now been suspended.