The Revitalist

If you thought excavating the Big Dig in the middle of Boston was complicated, imagine building a new subway line through central Rome. After decades of feuding the city and the archaeologists are collaborating on a 15.5 mile project (costing an estimated $375m per mile). The two camps worked together to site stations in places less likely to disrupt major sites, and the city agreed to allow archaeologists to survey sites before the mechanical excavators moved in (this is in contrast to workers demo-ing their way through the Diocletian Baths without letting the preservation office know). Even though the cost is exorbitant (and really, how could it not be?), it seems like a win-win situation. The archaeologists are surely salivating at the opportunity to dig the ancient city, and it has to be more efficient to accomodate planned surveys early in the construction than to have unexpected work stopages.

By the way, if you haven't seen it, the Mass Historical Commission has a nice exhibition on the Archaeology of the Central Artery Project.