University of Missouri Team Uncovers Ancient Water Basin Near Rome

Researchers hope discovery can reveal details about construction, engineering and water management techniques that may be useful today.

test — Photo courtesy of the University of Missouri

Researchers hope the discovery in Gabii can reveal details about construction, engineering and water management techniques that may be useful today.

In the ancient city of Gabii, just 11 miles east of Rome, a team organized by the University of Missouri uncovered a massive stone-lined basin—partly carved into the bedrock—that members say is an example of early engineering ingenuity.

Dating to around 250 B.C.—and possibly earlier—the structure stands as one of the first instances of Roman monumental architecture beyond temples and city walls. “The basin is a well-preserved example of skilled Roman stonework from the 4th–3rd century BCE,” says Marcello Mogetta, chair of classics, archaeology and religion at the university, who leads the team.

The basin’s precise stonework, integration with natural terrain and long-lasting stability may offer valuable lessons for modern builders—showing how thoughtful design, durable materials and harmony with the environment can yield structures that stand the test of time, he adds. "Basins like this are rare, and this one predates Roman concrete and hydraulic mortar. Its design also shows how ancient engineers used the natural slope of the land—part of the ancient volcanic crater that Gabii was built next to—to its advantage,” Mogetta notes.

Gabii, once a powerful neighbor and rival of Rome, was first settled during the Early Iron Age but largely abandoned by 50 BCE, with only limited resettlement. Unlike Rome, the site was not buried beneath centuries of later construction, allowing its streets and building foundations to remain well preserved—a feature that offers a rare window into early Roman life, says Mogetta.

“Gabii offers a detailed look at the development of Roman towns, from early huts to stone houses. Its layers also let us study building materials like Gabine stone and volcanic ash used in Roman construction," he notes. "The basin shows how public spaces and infrastructure developed in the city.”

Researchers started exploring the area in 2022, and one year later, they uncovered a large natural rock surface called basalt pavement, which is made from volcanic rock, that completely hid the basin.

“Once we removed part of it, the edge of the basin became visible,” he says. “By 2024, the full edge was exposed, and in 2025 we uncovered a paved ramp leading down to the basin carved into the bedrock.

More work is being done to learn what the basin was used for.

“Excavating the original soil at the bottom will tell us whether it was fed by a spring or the water table and whether it was mainly for practical uses—supplying water to nearby buildings—or had a symbolic or sacred function,” Mogetta says. “The objects we’ve already found in the basin, such as whole ceramic vessels and lamps, suggest it may have had ritual meaning, possibly linked to purification or healing.”

One team member, Rome-based architect Carlo Monda, who has been involved in excavating Gabii since 2008, says learning about ancient construction techniques can influence modern ones, and that the basin may be significant, especially as countries cope with water shortages.

"The discovery of the water basin provides modern engineers with new insight on the water management of the ancient Latins,” he says. “In our times of hydric crisis, experiences from the past might be enlightening for combining ancient knowledge and modern technology.”

Monda adds that work on the Gabii project—with its archeologists, conservators, art historians and others—"has been a constant source of inspiration for my job. The interdisciplinary approaches that a project like this provides are stimulating and offer opportunities for my professional growth and knowledge.”

The project also involves experts in surveying, lab analysis and environmental studies who help document the site, analyze artifacts and assess waterlogged areas.

The team plans to continue excavating the basin in 2026, also studying an unexplained and unidentified feature that was noticed through thermal imaging scans and which researchers believe may be a temple or other type of large civic building.

The Gabii Project was started in 2009 by the University of Michigan’s Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. Mogetta became project director in 2024. The University of Missouri now holds the excavation permit, with 2025 as the first year of its three-year project.

The team also is studying whether civic spaces or religious centers emerged first. The answer could shed light on whether politics or worship had a greater influence in shaping the earliest monumental landscapes of Roman society.

As they assemble the clues, team members say they aim to reconstruct the story of Gabii—its rise, prosperity and decline—and the broader story of Roman architecture, construction and engineering and their continued impact on the modern world.