Forum Time

We've been here just under 2 months but I just got to the Forum today. For 9 Euro you get one ticket which you can use at the Colosseo, Palatine Hill, and Forum over two days. I thought I could at least see the Forum and maybe the Colosseum today but after sketching all day at the Forum I got kicked out at close without even seeing it all. I'll post some of the sketches later.

It is really interesting to try and visualize what the forum was like. If you stand there and try it, you'll come up with some conglomerate, hybrid mini-city because what exists today are parts of structures from many different time periods. The problem with the archaeological excavations at the forum (and elsewhere) is that there is so much from so many different eras. And it is not layers that are formed, but one infusion that can only be chipped apart and not pulled apart. In short, the ruins aren't stacked, but melted together. To get to some of the "exciting stuff" they have to remove what is above which is also pretty ancient. At the beginning of our time here I remember our art history teacher, Ezio, talking about how when ruins are discovered, the archaeologists have to essentially decide where to cut the site and stop digging. There will always be more below and always something above that has to go.

Tomorrow I plan on seeing the Palatine Hill and Colosseo. I'll have to go faster this time. At least there's about a 100% chance that I'll go a few more times this semester.