Archaeologists and researchers excavating Legio, a massive second century Roman military base in Israel, during the 2023 season uncovered a blood-red amphitheater near Megiddo.
Megiddo, also known as the site of Armageddon, is where Christianity foretells as the location for the battle of the start of the end of the world, according to Live Science. A team of researchers led by East Tennessee State University geoscientist Eileen Ernenwein used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to identify both the amphitheater and a cemetery at the Legio site, which lies beneath agricultural fields of Kibbutz Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley.
Legio was rediscovered in 1998 after being lost for roughly 1,800 years, the outlet continued. While excavations have taken place since the turn of the last century, the 2023 summer excavation season revealed more than most were expecting.
Blood-red walls of Roman amphitheater unearthed near ‘Armageddon’ in Israel https://t.co/Otu7ymReE6
— MuteMeAfterMidnight🐝 (@BigGammaEnergy) August 23, 2023
Using GPR, researchers were able to non-invasively survey the site, noting the layout of roads, buildings, and courtyards of the extensive site. But it wasn’t until they started digging that the real remnants of our Roman ancestors were revealed.
“This kind of amphitheater — for the army, not the general public — has not been found before in the region,” co-director of the dig and director of The Center for the Mediterranean World Matthew J. Adam told Live Science. The amphitheater was adorned with blood-red paint across the stone walls. (RELATED: Roman-Era ‘Death Magic’ Tools Used To Communicate With The Dead Found Near Jerusalem)
It’s believed the structure was used for combat training for the potentially 5,000-strong Roman army that resided at the site. Further analysis of the remains uncovered at the cemetery hopefully shed light on the genetic and ethnic makeup of those who lived in the area and how the Romans recruited for their army.