Ancient Roman amphitheatre near Megiddo

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE: First Roman military amphitheater in Southern Levant revealed at excavations near Megiddo. Less lavish than amphitheaters for the civilian population, the military amphitheaters were used for training and entertainment by the troops (Judith Sudilovsky, Jerusalem Post).

Their work has been made more difficult, noted Tepper, because the stones from the structure were used as building material by the subsequent inhabitants of the area, including residents of a nearby Ottoman-era village on to personnel of a British military camp.

“The main question we were looking to answer was if the bowl shape we were seeing on the ground was actually an amphitheater, and basically we have proved it,” said Adams. “We have determined the shape is artificially made... it looks like they flattened the entire area down to a natural clay source that was already there. Just today we are starting to see monumental stones from the entrance into the amphitheater gate, which is nice and promising because it is clear that at least the foundation of the wall is there.”

It sounds as though this amphitheatre is basically ghost architechture: most of the stones are missing, leaving a bowl-shaped depression in the ground.

For more on the remains of the Sixth Legion Roman camp ("Legio") and on the Megiddo excavation in general, start here and follow the links.

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