A?c????l??ists in R?m? ??v? m??? ?n ?xcitin? ?isc?v??? w?il? c?n??ctin? ?xc?v?ti?n w??k t? ????i? c?ll??s?? s?w??? ?i??s in P??c? Sc?tt, ? ???t ?? t?? A??i? Antic? A?c????l??ic?l P??k. T??? st?m?l?? ???n ? li??-siz? m???l? st?t?? ?? t?? ??mi??? H??c?l?s, ??li?v?? t? ??t? ??ck t? t?? R?m?n im???i?l ???i?? – n?t ?x?ctl? w??t ??? ?x??ct t? ?in? in ?n ?l? s?w??!
C?nst??cti?n w??k??s ?? ??c????l??ists, w?il? c?n??ctin? ???tin? s?w?? ????i?s ?? ?xc?v?ti?ns ??n??t? t?? cit?, st?m?l? ???n ? l???? st?n? ??j?ct ???i?? ??n??t? t?? ????n?. Initi?ll?, t??? mi??t n?t ???liz? t?? si?ni?ic?nc? ?? t??i? ?in?.
As ?x???ts ?x?min? t?? ??j?ct m??? cl?s?l?, t??? st??t t? ??c??niz? t?? ???t???s ?? ? cl?ssic?l st?t??. T?? ic?nic c????ct??istics ?? H??c?l?s, s?c? ?s ?is m?sc?l?? ???si???, li?n’s skin, ?n? cl??, ??c?m? ?vi??nt.
A t??m ?? ??c????l??ists c?????ll? ?xc?v?t?s t?? st?t??, ?ns??in? it is n?t ??m???? ???in? t?? ??m?v?l ???c?ss. T??? ??c?m?nt its ?x?ct l?c?ti?n wit?in t?? s?w?? s?st?m ?n? n?t? ?n? ?cc?m??n?in? ??ti??cts ?? ?ist??ic?l c?nt?xt.
Ex???ts ?s? v??i??s t?c?ni???s, s?c? ?s c????n ??tin? ?? st?listic ?n?l?sis, t? ??t??min? t?? st?t??’s ??? ?n? ??t??nticit?. T??? mi??t ?ls? s???c? ??? insc?i?ti?ns ?? ?t??? cl??s t??t i??nti?? t?? sc?l?t?? ?? c?mm?m???t? t?? st?t??’s ?????s?.
An ?nci?nt R?m?n st?t?? ?? H??c?l?s ??s ???n ?isc?v???? ???in? ????i?s t? t?? s?w????? s?st?m ?n???n??t? ? ???k in R?m?.
T?? st?t??, w?ic? ??????ntl? ??t?s ??ck t? t?? R?m?n im???i?l ???i?? (27BC t? AD476), ?m????? ???m t?? ????n? ????n? t?? s?c?n? mil? m??k ?l?n? t?? ?nci?nt A??i?n W??, ? ??m?? ?ist??ic ????.
T?? A??i? Antic? P??k ?nn??nc?? ?n F?c????k t??t t?? ???? “??s ??s??v?? ? ????t s????is? ??? ?s: ? li??-siz? m???l? st?t?? w?ic?, ??? t? t?? ???s?nc? ?? t?? cl?? ?n? t?? li?n’s c??t c?v??in? its ????, w? c?n c??t?inl? i??nti?? ?s ? ?i???? ?????s?ntin? H??c?l?s”.
T?? ?isc?v??? w?s m??? ???in? ????i? w??k ?n s?m? s?w?? ?i??s t??t ??? c?ll??s??, c??sin? c??sms ?n? l?n?sli??s.
T?? ?xc?v?ti?ns ???c??? ? ???t? ?? 20 m?t??s ?n?, ?s ??t?n ?????ns in R?m?, w??? c???i?? ??t wit? t?? ???s?nc? ?? ??c????l??ists.
In N?v?m??? l?st ???? ?n “?xc??ti?n?l” t??v? ?? ???nz? st?t??s, ???s??v?? ??? t???s?n?s ?? ????s ?? m?? ?n? ??ilin? w?t??, w?s ?isc?v???? in ? n?tw??k ?? ??t?s ??ilt ?? t?? Et??sc?ns in T?sc?n?.
T?? 24 ???tl? s??m????? st?t??s, w?ic? ??t? ??ck 2,300 ????s ?n? ??v? ???n ??il?? ?s t?? m?st si?ni?ic?nt ?in? ?? t??i? kin? in 50 ????s, incl??? ? sl???in? ?????? l?in? n?xt t? H???i?, t?? ?????ss ?? ???lt?, w?? ??s ? sn?k? w?????? ????n? ??? ??m.