Day 3: This is a town or the ruins of a city called Ostia Antica a thirty minute train ride outside of Rome. It is a port town that predates Rome. This is where people settled before Rome was ever a port city. There were 50,000 inhabitants of this community which became a major import export hub. The only reason that is has been preserved so well is that it was covered with mud and became a swamp infested with mosquitos and maleria. People didn't bother to pilpher these stones because their life depended on it.

This is a typical home. What you see here are ovens inside the home. When the city became to crowded, they built aparment buildings up to as high as ten stories, most were only five. The people on the top floors had very small one rooms with no windows or plumbing or kitchens.

 This is the sign announcing the "Street of Tombs". Interestingly, the graveyard is found in the beginning of the town and not inside. Cremation was the prefered way to be buried in these times.

 A stairway leading up to one of the upper apartments.

From the top of ruins you can see the layout of the town.  Those trees are actually pine trees that are trimmed that way. I have a new project for Todd when we get home. This is how I want our pine tree to look.