The idea of ​​discovering a lost ancient city has long captured human imagination. But why are the abandoned environments of these fantasies still buried? The answer, in large part, is that such places exist in fact under our feet, at least in certain parts of the world. When archaeologists began to dig under the Roman forum, said the narration of the new Primary space video above“They discovered a whole world of deep ruins underground which had not been seen for centuries.” The even older city of Troy “was rebuilt ten times, forming ten distinct layers, all built directly on each other.” A geological excavation is always a journey back in time, but again more.
Each civilization has its own reasons for this type of physical accretion. “After the big fire of Rome in the first century, most of the city had to be rebuilt. But instead of cleaning the rubble, it was faster and easier to flatten it and build it on top.” Subsequently, periodic disasters continued to require a periodic street increase, a process that would end up completely burying older structures.
In the case of Troy, which began as a colony built in mud bricks in 3000 BC, nine civilizations grew up and dissolved (often literally) on the same mound, “going from Persians to Alexander the Great, and finally the Romans”. Something similar continues to happen in certain parts of the world today: Shanghai, for example, which is now flowing at a rate of one centimeter per year.
Having grown up around Seattle, I had more than one opportunity to make its “underground visit”, which takes place in the midst of the remains of an urban landscape of the end of the 19th century just below modern streets. “In 1889, a devastating fire torn the newly formed city, and just like Rome, almost everything had to be rebuilt,” said the video. The consequences have brought the opportunity to re-conceive the city subject to floods with streets exceeded above a system of drains. This has put under ground not only the lower floors of existing buildings, but also their surrounding sidewalks. At the age of primary school, we are in a way both fascinated and not particularly surprised by the existence of a city lost under his hometown. For me and my classmates, nothing was more memorable than the fact that there are still toilets there.
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Based in Seoul, Colin MArshall Written and broadcastTS on cities, language and culture. His projects include the substack newsletter Books on cities And the book The stateless city: a walk through Los Angeles from the 21st century. Follow it on the social network formerly known as Twitter in @ColinmArshall.
At Learnopoly, Finn has championed a mission to deliver unbiased, in-depth reviews of online courses that empower learners to make well-informed decisions. With over a decade of experience in financial services, he has honed his expertise in strategic partnerships and business development, cultivating both a sharp analytical perspective and a collaborative spirit. A lifelong learner, Finn’s commitment to creating a trusted guide for online education was ignited by a frustrating encounter with biased course reviews.