Dodge Hazel - Ancient Rome : the archaeology of the eternal city

The Forma Urbis Romae ( FUR , a modern title) was originally carved on the veneer panels (north-east facing wall) of the south corner room of the Templum Pacis ( regio IV). It was carved in situ on 151 veneer slabs of Proconnesian marble attached to an 18 by 13 m wall, which still stands (). The first fragments were found in the 16th century, some of which have been subsequently lost, but survive as drawings. More pieces have been found in later excavations up to the present. Surviving fragments (1,163 pieces) and drawings make up 20% of the map area, but only 10% can be placed in identifiable positions. A numbering system for fragments was devised by Carettoni et al and this has been followed by later publications (CARETTONI 1960; RODRIGUEZ-ALMEIDA 197071; 197576; 1977; 1981; 1983; STACCIOLI 1962; TORTORICI 1988). The original locations of pieces may be identified by a number of methods:

• the carved detail of recognisable building plans, eg Largo Argentina temples;
• surviving ancient street lines, eg Clivus Suburanus/Via in Selce;
• building label inscriptions, eg Basilica Ulpia, Ludus Magnus;
• positions on individual veneer panels (ie edges, peg-holes);
• the coloured banding of the marble and pink fire markings;
• breaks and joins (ie normal jigsaw methods).

: The wall of the Templum Pacis on which the Forma Urbis was displayed. Brick-faced concrete with peg-holes for the attachment of marble veneer panels (Photo: editors).

The scale is approximately 1:250. A broad date of AD 205208 is given by the presence and absence of known buildings (eg the Severan Septizodium is present; the Basilica of Maxentius is absent). A narrower date bracket is provided by an inscription on the map labelling an Aventine building with the joint names of Severus and Caracalla (Fragment No. 42b, e: SEVERI ET ANTONINI AUGG NN). This Severan plan probably replaced and revised a Flavian predecessor.

Conventions: The carved details were originally painted. All the buildings, public and domestic, were represented in ground plan. Some public buildings are perhaps rendered in more careful detail at a slightly larger scale. This may be especially true of buildings restored after the Commodan fire by the Severi (eg Templum Pacis), and of new Severan edifices (eg the Septizodium with its massive label).

Specific conventions are used for:

	aqueducts