ポンペイ遺跡で馬車発掘、イタリアで「類がない発見」

【ローマＡＦＰ＝時事】イタリア南部の古代ローマ都市ポンペイの近くで、装飾を施した馬車が「ほぼ完全な形で」発掘された。ポンペイ考古学公園が27日、発表した。国内では「類がない」発見だという。（写真はイタリアの古代ローマ都市ポンペイ付近で発掘された馬車の一部）
　出土した馬車は四輪のもので、厩舎（きゅうしゃ）に面したポルチコ（柱で支えられた屋根つきの玄関）で見つかった。厩舎からは２０１８年に馬３頭の骨が発掘され、うち１頭は馬具を装着した状態だった。
　考古学公園は「儀礼で用いられた四輪馬車が、鉄の部品や、手の込んだ青銅やスズの装飾物、石化した木の残骸、有機物（縄から花飾りまで）の痕跡とともに、ほぼ完全な形で発掘された」と発表し、「これはめったにない発見で、これまでのところイタリア国内では類がなく、極めて良好な状態で残存している」と述べた。
　発掘現場は、古代都市ポンペイからわずか数百メートルの場所にある「チビタ・ジュリアーナ」という住宅遺構。発掘調査は、闇市場で売れる遺物を狙った盗掘などの違法行為対策の一環として行われた。
　ダリオ・フランチェスキーニ文化財・文化活動・観光相は考古学公園の発表に引用された発言の中で、「ポンペイはあらゆる発見で驚きを与え続けている。２０ヘクタールが未発掘であるため、これから何十年も引き続き驚かせてくれるだろう」と述べた。
　ポンペイは西暦７９年のベズビオ火山噴火の際に火山灰に埋もれて消滅し、２０００～１万５０００人が死亡した。現在はイタリアで３番目に観光客が多い名所となっており、２０１９年には３９０万人が訪れた。新型コロナウイルスの影響で一時閉鎖され、１月１８日にようやく再開した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/03/01-11:09）

An ornate Roman chariot has been discovered almost intact near Italy?s buried city of Pompeii, the archaeological park announced on Saturday, calling it a discovery with no parallel in the country.
The four-wheeled processional carriage was found in the portico to stables where the remains of three horses were unearthed in 2018, including one still in its harness.
Pompeii was buried in boiling lava when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, killing between 2,000 and 15,000 people.
A large ceremonial chariot with four wheels, along with its iron components, beautiful bronze and tin decorations, mineralised wood remains and imprints of organic materials (from the ropes to the remains of floral decoration), has been discovered almost intact, a statement issued by the archaeological park said.
This is an exceptional discovery... which has no parallel in Italy thus far - in an excellent state of preservation.
The excavation site is known as the Civita Giuliana, a suburban villa that lies just a few hundred metres from the ancient city of Pompeii.
The excavation is part of a programme aimed at fighting illegal activity in the area, including tunnel digging to reach artefacts that can be sold on illicit markets.
Looters missed the room where the chariot had lain for almost 2,000 years, tunnelling by on both sides, the park's statement said.
Specialists took great care to unearth the vehicle, for example by pouring plaster into voids to preserve the imprint of any organic material that had decomposed, it added.
The park said this had allowed it to emerge well preserved down to the imprints of ropes, thus revealing the chariot in all of its complexity.
Pompeii continues to amaze with all of its discoveries, and it will continue to do so for many years yet, with 20 hectares (50 acres) still to be excavated, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini was quoted as saying.
- 'Parades and processions' -
It is an extraordinary discovery for the advancement of our knowledge of the ancient world, added Massimo Osanna, outgoing director of the park.
What we have is a ceremonial chariot, probably the Pilentum referred to by some sources, which was employed not for everyday use or for agricultural transport, but to accompany community festivities, parades and processions.
Pompeii's remarkably well-preserved remains have slowly been uncovered by teams of archaeological specialists.
It is Italy's third most visited tourist site, drawing more than 3.9 million visitors in 2019.
The ancient city was closed after the coronavirus struck, and only reopened on January 18.