Previous research projects

The history of early urban Rome (6th-4th century BCE) has traditionally been tied to the ancient literary tradition. Extant scholarship focuses on Rome's seven mythical kings as well as the cataclysmic overthrow of the monarchy in 509 BCE, which ultimately led to the installation of the Roman Republic. Those literary texts, however, were written several centuries after the events they describe and were significantly shaped by the historical context of the time of their production. This research project offers a fresh approach to understanding Rome's early history through a range of new methods and using archaeological evidence as the primary data.

While the latter half of the Regal period (6th century BCE) has commonly been framed as a flourishing period of Rome's history, the early Roman Republic (5th and 4th centuries BCE) has traditionally been perceived as a period of decline. The chronology of early Rome is linked to absolute-dated historical events based on literary evidence, and the archaeological data tends to be assessed in a framework itself provided by those literary texts. However, the traditional understanding of this period has become outdated due to the increase in both new archaeological finds and new approaches over the last two decades. There is now enormous potential for an overarching and revisionary study of these pivotal centuries in Rome's early history.

The purpose of the project is to reassess early urban Rome by revisiting old and investigating new archaeological data. There are two primary aims of the study: 1) To conduct a comprehensive review of the latest research trends, developments, and significant findings in the field. 2) To contribute new data to this rapidly emerging field of research through collaborative, in-depth scientific studies that apply new methods to the archaeological material of early Rome. The two-year project is based at two leading international institutions: From October 2022 to September 2023, the project was based at the University of Cambridge, which provided a research environment with internationally renowned scholars as well as a strong set of archaeological science laboratories, and from October 2023 to September 2024, it will be based at the Danish Institute of Rome, which is itself an active archaeological institution situated within close proximity of pertinent archaeological sites and artefacts.

The archaeological material, which is to be analysed through scientific methods, stems from one of the main archaeological sites in central Rome - the Temple of Castor and Pollux site in the Roman Forum. The material was found during excavations of the temple in the 80s and dates back to the 7th and 6th century BCE, antedating the temple's construction (dedicated in 484 BCE). The study will revisit the archaeological material by means of new scientific methods, such as petrographical and archaeobotanical analyses. Investigating material groups from a key archaeological site can contribute to novel insights into the early city's society, organisation and networks.

The history of Rome's origins, traditionally relying on ancient literary tradition, is the foundation of Western civilisation, and for more than two millennia, it has fascinated and attracted scholars, poets, intellectuals, and the general public. As a result of the increase in both new archaeological finds and scientific methods over the past twenty years, it is possible to offer new nuances by focusing on the merits of the archaeological evidence and encouraging more attention to archaeological scientific studies. This project aims to rewrite this pivotal period through archaeological evidence to advance knowledge of the history of early urban Rome rather than the prevailing tendency to spread the "myth" of early Rome.

Recent publications:

Sauer, N. 2022. Farewell to the kings: New scientific methods are changing our understanding of early Rome, Sphinx 45.4: 4-11.

Links: https://www.carlsbergfondet.dk/da/Forskningsaktiviteter/Bevillingsstatistik/Bevillingsoversigt/CF22_0141_Nikoline-Sauer.