Posted on 05/08/2006 6:28:28 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Archeologists say the site contained a well-preserved Roman forum, bath house, gymnasium and temple -- as well as dozens of private homes and hundreds of mosaics and statues... The socialist local council says the remains never would have been found had the town not dug up the main square, Plaza de Espana, to build the car park in 1998, the newspaper said. Mayor Juan Wic said the parking lot is "essential for the commercial future of the square and city."
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
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Unbelievable. Should be against the law. I hope they are going to at least preserve it in pictures.
I guess the most Honorable (cough, cough, HAK, excuse me)Mayor never heard of tourism.
They don't destroy it, only cover it up again, pave over and put up a parkinglot. Have you ever been to Italy?
They are chokin in ruins of which the people care little as there are so many. They however don't have the best economy of Europe, especially the small towns.
Besides, why would you want them to dig up ruins just so that the ruins can wither away even more in the wind and acid rain? It survived this long, it can stay put a century. Then the parking lot is too old and perhaps we can dig it up.
Not quite.
".......the last vestiges of the lost city known as Colonia Augusta Firma Astigi have been destroyed to build an UNDERGOUND municipal car park."
Naw, it's just a reminder of imperialist western conquest, and it has to be eradicated in order to ensure no Moslems are offended by its existence when Spain is finally restored to the caliphate.
An incredible opportunity, lost forever.
But, "The Spice must flow."
It could be that the ruins really were ruined, i.e., that it was just foundations and some chunks of pillars. Rome itself was being dismantled even in imperial times, to the point that emperors from the 3rd century on were constantly making decrees and setting punishments for pulling parts off public buildings. Now and again some construction project turns up statues and pieces of statues from ancient Rome -- the pieces being all that is left of ancient works of art which were rendered into lime (for mortar) during the Middle Ages.
Horace quote follows, not the one I wanted:
"Time will bring to light whatever is hidden; it will cover up and conceal what is now shining in splendor."
Maybe this is it, but it doesn't sound quite right:
"I have reared a memorial more enduring than brass, and loftier than the regal structure of the pyramids, which neither the corroding shower nor the powerless north wind can destroy; no, not even unending years nor the flight of time itself. I shall not entirely die. The greater part of me shall escape oblivion." [Horace, referring to his own written work]
amen
Could be.
But now we'll never know.
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