Archeology of Lugo

The earliest records of the archaeological remains of ancient Lucus Augusti date back to the 16th century, and further information became known later, particularly thanks to the work of Pallares y Gayoso (Argos Divina, 1700). It was not until the 19th century that reports of new accidental discoveries became more widespread, such as the famous Batitales mosaic (1842). In the 20th century, the studies of prominent historians and local scholars are especially noteworthy.

The year 1986 marked a turning point for archaeology and for the city of Lugo. Everything began with the construction of three underground car parks in the historic centre: Praza de Santo Domingo, Praza do Ferrol and Praza da ConstituciĂłn. In Praza de Santo Domingo, the remains of a large domus with mosaics and a Roman road were uncovered. An incineration necropolis with more than 66 burials was found beneath Praza do Ferrol, along with three pottery kilns and remains of the aqueduct.

At the same time that the excavations of the squares were being completed, in August of that same year, excavations began on the first private plots in the city, in RĂșa ArmanyĂĄ, where two magnificent mosaics were discovered, one of them decorated with the mythological scene of Daedalus and Pasiphae. These are currently on display at the Provincial Museum of Lugo.

Between 1987 and 1997, urban archaeology in Lugo became firmly established, with important discoveries such as the city’s aqueducts, stretches of Roman roads, parts of a large thermal complex, a vast inhumation necropolis in the San Roque district, and numerous structures related to the high-imperial city in the Recatelo district, outside the walls. At the end of the 1990s, archaeological monitoring of construction works in several streets of the historic centre, carried out by the Municipal Archaeology Service, made it possible to identify the location of the large public square: the forum. Some years later, in 2002, new remains of the Batitales mosaic were discovered in RĂșa Dr. Castro, and in the Milagrosa district, further remains related to the Roman aqueduct were uncovered. Throughout these years, significant interventions were also carried out on the city’s main monuments, such as the Wall, the Roman Baths and the Old Bridge.

The year 1997 marked another turning point for archaeology in Lugo with the approval of the P.E.P.R.I. From this moment onwards, the first projects for in situ conservation and public display were developed, such as the House of Mosaics (2005), the San Roque Archaeological Centre (2007), and the Domus of the Mithraeum (2013). Another form of presenting archaeological remains adopted in Lugo is the so-called archaeological windows, which preserve remains integrated into the urban landscape in public spaces (Praza de Santa MarĂ­a, San Marcos, RĂșa Dr. Castro, CĂ­rculo das Artes, etc.).