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The Capitoline Wolf depicts Romulus and Remus being suckled by a she-wolf, has been the symbol of Rome since ancient times.

The Tomb of Romulus Found?

Archaeologists think they’ve found the burial site of Romulus, Rome’s ancient king, who is said to have been suckled by a wolf. The ancient tomb was finally unveiled last week in Rome, bringing to a head months of investigation by history sleuths.

The 6th century BC stone sarcophagus with an accompanying circular altar, was discovered under the Forum in the heart of Italy’s capital decades ago. Experts could not agree on whether or not it belonged to the fabled figure, who according to legend, founded the city after killing his twin brother, Remus.

The brothers had been raised by a she-wolf, but later had a falling out over where to build the city that was to become Rome. Historians have long been divided, not only over whether the pair actually existed, but if they did, where was Romulus’ body buried? It was reportedly dismembered by angry senators after his death, casting centuries of doubt over whether any monument to Rome’s founder, let alone any remains would ever be found.

The Colosseum Archaeological Park, which manages the Forum where the sarcophagus lies, said recent clues all pointed to it being the founder’s tomb, in what is labelled as an extraordinary discovery. The Forum was the beating heart of the Roman Empire and historical sources refer to Romulus’ possible burial in that area. Adding to the uncertainty, no bones were found inside the sarcophagus.

“These two archaeological objects (sarcophagus and altar) have given rise to a hypothesis we can now debate,” said Italian archaeologist Paolo Carafa.

Romulus, made popular by writers such as Livy, Ovid and Plutarch, is said to have plowed a square furrow around the Palatine Hill in 753 BC, to demarcate the walls of the future city. When a mocking Remus hopped over the “wall” to prove how ineffective it would be against invaders, his brother killed him. A team of scientists carrying out a dig in the late 1980s discovered a long, deep gash marked by large stones, which they claimed was the “sacred furrow” plowed by Romulus.

Legend has it, Romulus went on to establish the Roman senate and rule as the city’s first king for nearly 40 years, before disappearing into thin air one day while out inspecting his troops. Some versions of the tale have him taken up to heaven by the god of war, while others have him brutally murdered by jealous senators who tore him limb from limb and scattered his body parts across the city.

There may consequently have been no body to bury. In any case, Romulus acquired a cult following, making it more than plausible that the ancient city built a shrine to its beloved, legendary and possibly mythical founder. “Whether Romulus existed or not is not important,” Carafa said, “What matters is that this figure is considered by the ancients to mark the political birth of the city.”