Palatine Hill

Palatine Hill was a four sided plateau south of the Roman Forum. Legend has it that the city of Rome was founded on the Palatine, where the founders of Rome—Romulus and Remus—were abandoned as infants on the Tiber River and were deposited at the foot of the Palatine. Alternatively, the wolf that had nurtured the brothers lived on the slopes of Palatine and were subsequently raised there. 

The site images provided in the collection could be Casa Romuli, though it is not entirely certain. Nonetheless, the hut foundations on this site may date somewhere between 900-700 BCE and were perhaps the foundations of the ancient house of Romulus. The huts were damaged and repaired several times, where in 38 BCE, a fire broke out during a ceremony celebrating Romulus. Then, in 12 BCE, another fire broke out. What is left of these hut foundations as of today are cut into the tufa bedrock of Palatine Hill. During their time, they were built with rocky soil and tuff. The walls themselves were made of straw, mud, and reed, while a hearth generally occupied the center of the hut. They usually had an ovular plan with two poles in the center to support the roof, as well as the overall structure. To eliminate the pooling of rainwater, these huts were surrounded by channels and had a sloped roof. 

Sources:

1. “Casa Romuli.” Atlas Obscura, 16 Oct. 2020, www.atlasobscura.com/places/casa-romuli. 
2. Dori, Pierpaolo. “Palatine Huts.” Www.culturalheritageonline.com, www.culturalheritageonline.com/location-200_Palatine-Huts.php. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024. 
3. “Palatine Hill | Hill, Rome, Italy | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/place/Palatine-Hill.