[Smokin' Joe]

Check this out...

[CholeraJoe]

?GGG ping

[starbase]

Wow, this is cool. That baby's head is haunting (no pun intended), all those centuries lying covered underground.

[NYer]

In this undated photo provided Monday, Oct. 9, 2006 by the Vatican Museums, terracotta vases are seen in an ancient necropolis unearthed at the Vatican.

[Claud]

I think the title should be more aptly "necropolis unveiled"..the fact that there was a necropolis was found during the Pius XII digs, no?

This is where the ostensible bones of St. Peter were found and the candidate for the "troparion" or trophy of Gaius. Constantine had gone through a massive amount of effort to put the basilica on top of the Vatican hill, and to align its main altar directly over a grave in the Roman necropolis.

[AliVeritas]

Thanks so much NYer.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NYer, Smokin' Joe, and CholeraJoe.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[Mike Fieschko]

A couple of other articles, no photos:

• Vatican next month to unveil necropolis including section discovered in parking lot dig, International Herald-Tribune, Sep 14, 2006,
• Vatican Necropolis Gives Up Secrets After Escaping Construction, Bloomberg news, Oct 9, 2006.

Does anyone know where this necropolis is on this map of Vatican City?

Vatican City Map

Welcome Floorplan Square & Area Documents Images Grottoes Colonnade Saints Floorplan #2 Altars Monuments The History Related Items Overlay Map

1 Bronze Doors  2 Arch of the Bells  3 St Peter's Door  4 Tower of Nicolas V  5 Palace of Sixtus V  6 Palace of Gregory V  7 Medieval Palace  8 Borgia Tower  9 Sistine Chapel 10 Hall of Ligorio 11 Vatican Apostolic Library     (Bldg. of Sixtus V) 12 Courtyard of the Library 13 Braccio Nuove 14 Tower of the Winds 15 Corridor of Bramante 16 Niche of the Pinecone 17 Fountain of the Sailing Ship 18 Stairway of Bramante 19 The Belvedere 20 Pio-Clementino Museum 21 The Four Gates 22 Entrance to the     Vatican Museums 23 Painting Gallery 24 Gregorian Profane Museum,        Pius Christian Museum and    Ethnological Museum 25 Carriage Museum 26 The Passetto 27 Gate of Sant' Anna 28 Church of Sant' Anna dei    Palafrenieri 29 Courtyard of the Swiss Guards 30 Vatican Printing Press 31 Restoration Lab of Tapestries 32 Church of San Pellegrino 33 L'Osservatore Romano 34 Central Post Office 35 Palace of the Belvedere 36 Piazza del Forno 37 Fountain of the Sacrament 38 Casino Pio of Pius IV

	39 Pontifical Academy of Sciences 40 House of the Gardener 41 Fountain of the Eagle 42 Tower of Gallinaro 43 Vatican Radio 44 Border of the Leonine City 45 Grotto of Lourdes 46 Tower of St John 47 Marconi Transmitting Station	48 Ethiopian College 49 Governatorato Building 50 Railway Station 51 Mosaic Studio 52 Church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini 53 Tribunal Palace 54 Palace of the Archpriest 55 Palace of San Carlo	56 Piazza Santa Marta 57 Hospice of Santa Marta 58 Palace of the Rectory and Sacristy 59 Plaza of the Roman Protomartyrs 60 Teutonic College and Cemetery 61 Papal Audience Hall 62 Palace of the Sant' Uffizio 63 Church of San Salvatore in Terrione

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I thought everyone knew the Vatican was built over an ancient Roman Cemetery, where Peter was buried after he was crucified head down.

Great post and photos!

[Iris7]

One is reminded that, as Douglas MacArthur put it, we are a people of ancient and honorable descent.

[fortheDeclaration]

Why seek ye the living among the dead?(Lk.24:5)

[redgolum]

Cool. Read about this in "Biblical Archeology".

[Dustbunny]

Wow, neat !!!!

[kstewskis]

way cool!

[Antoninus]

No surprise. The reason St. Peter's is located on the Vatican hill is because St. Peter was buried there. They actually found what are believed to be his remains buried in a spot which had a graffito which read "Peter is here" carved over top of it some 20 years ago.