Archaeologists have found the remains of what is believed to be the first port of Naples, underneath the city’s current seafront. Near the Castel dell’Ovo, a team of divers discovered four tunnels about 10 meters (33 feet) below the water, which could have been used to moor ships 2,500 years ago. Also discovered was a 10-foot-wide street with grooves from cart wheels and a trench that was likely used by soldiers.
“It’s a discovery that opens up a new scenario for reconstructing the ancient structure of Palepolis,” said archaeologist Mario Negri.
Almost 3,000 years ago, in the ninth century BC, Anatolian (modern-day Turkey) and Achaean (modern-day Greece) merchants settled in the area seeking minerals and established the port, which they called Parthenope after a fabled siren who landed there.
Later, the Greeks and Etruscans fought to control it as a trade center; while the Etruscans initially won dominance, the Greeks retook control around 474 and rebuilt the city as Palepolis (meaning “old city”). Neapolis (“new city”) – present-day Naples – was constructed farther inland as a commercial hub, and by the first century BC, Palepolis was home to luxurious patrician villas.
By Kathy McCabe
