shrine with which Romans in historical times commem-
orated their legendary past:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2008-02-06-romulus-r...
"Does a cave prove Romulus and Remus are no myth?"
By Andrea Pitzer, Special for USA TODAY
The discovery of an ancient Roman cave has unearthed
a debate about its historical purpose and delved into a
deeper question for scholars: Can archaeology prove
mythology? The cave was found when a camera was
lowered through a hole in Rome's Palatine Hill during
restorations of the palace of the Emperor Augustus,
who ruled from the late first century B.C. until his
death in A.D. 14. The Palatine Hill was a seat of power
in ancient Rome; today it is home to the fragile remains
of palaces and temples.
The discovery of the vaulted cavern, more than 50 feet
underground and covered in mosaics, was announced in
November. Some believe it is a shrine of the Lupercale,
the sacred cave where Romulus and Remus, the legend-
ary founders of Rome, are said to have been suckled by
a wolf --lupa in Latin.
According to Roman mythology, the twin sons of a
priestess and Mars, the god of war, were set adrift in
the Tiber River. Instead of drowning, the infants
washed ashore.
Francesco Rutelli, Italy's Minister of Culture, says the
cave is the Lupercale celebrated in Augustus' time, as
evidenced by references in 2,000-year-old texts.
Archaeologist Andrea Carandini of Rome's La Sapienza
University calls the finding "one of the greatest discov-
eries ever made" and says the chances are "minimal"
that the cave is not the site revered by the Romans as
the Lupercale.
Carandini and others point to discoveries such as the
cave and earlier findings of ancient structures as evi-
dence that myths about the city's founding reflect
history, and say that the founder of Rome may actual-
ly have been named Romulus.
Subject to interpretation
But linking artifacts to legends is risky business, say
historians and other archaeologists.
"Everyone always wants to think that archaeology has
proved the Bible is true, or that there really was a Tro-
jan War, or that King Arthur was a real character,"
says historian T.P. Wiseman of England's University
of Exeter. "Archaeology by its nature can't provide
such evidence."
He says that when archaeologists interpret an artifact,
their expert perspective is essentially a best guess, be-
cause there's no means of confirmation.
Historian Christopher Smith of Scotland's University of
St. Andrews notes that even if artifacts clearly reference
the Romulus and Remus story, all they will show is that
the cavern is a place where first-century Romans cele-
brated the legend -- not that the story is real.
"It is tempting to argue that the finds support historical
events," Smith says, "when in fact they merely support
ancient beliefs about events."
Wiseman says everything we believe we know about
the ancient world must be treated as a hypothesis, one
that may be disproved by future finds. The only concrete
relationship between an artifact and a myth is "what
people create with their own will to believe."
Earlier discoveries linked to Romulus and Remus, who
supposedly founded Rome in 753 B.C., have divided
experts.
In 1988, Carandini discovered a section of wall in Rome
dating from the eighth century B.C., which he linked to
a boundary found in the legend: Romulus killed Remus
when he mocked such a wall. Other archaeologists and
historians have recognized the validity of Carandini's
find as an archaeological discovery but don't see it
giving credence to mythology.
The Capitoline Wolf, a bronze statue of a wolf suckling a
pair of infant boys, has come under fire. Long believed
to be a fifth-century B.C. Etruscan statue, it may be much
younger than that. Last year, Anna Maria Carruba, who
was involved in its restoration, published a book claiming
the process showed that the wolf was made outside Italy
during the medieval period.
If so, Wiseman says, the statue is no longer proof that
fifth-century B.C. inhabitants knew the story of Romulus
and Remus, which had added weight to the argument
that the legend might have historical roots.
Archaeologist Adriano La Regina, also of La Sapienza,
who was in charge of the city's archaeological excava-
tions from 1976 to 2005, is among those who argue that
the newly discovered cave is not the Lupercale. Ancient
sources, from the writings of Dionysius to Cicero, indi-
cate otherwise, he says.
Historian Mario Torelli of Italy's University of Perugia
suggests the chamber is only a grotto of the Palatine
palace, included in the historical record since the 16th
century.
More to discover
Augustus saw himself as a new founder -- Romulus
and Remus combined, according to Stanford University
scholar Adrienne Mayor. And with written references
to an actual Lupercale site during Augustus' time, Mayor
believes it's fair game for scholars to try to find it.
Mayor says more study has to be done before drawing
conclusions about the underground chamber. Experts
ave been investigating the cave with endoscopes and
aser scanners, fearful that the grotto -- already partially
caved in -- would not survive an archaeological dig.
Still, Mayor is impressed that the ancient story of the
nurturing wolf has survived at least 2,000 years and has
meaning for people today. Trying to connect with the
past, "humans return again and again to archaeology to
confirm the reality of myth," she says. "It's a timeless
impulse."
Contributing: The Associated Press
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