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The gardens at Oplontis have been painstakingly excavated by
archaeologists. Almost every detail of their appearance has been
recovered. Concrete casts were laboriously taken of the cavities
left by tree roots. By studying them it was often possible to
determine which species and size were originally planted and
an attempt has been made to restore the garden to how it was
in the first century AD. On the right is a plan showing part
of the villa (the Atrium is in the bottom left corner). The position
of trees and bushes have been marked with a jagged circle, the
position of statues with a square. The extensive lawns were bordered
with box hedges, presumably clipped. Note how many trees there
were in the southern portico (bottom right), evidence was found
here for a double row of citrus trees. Notice how in the top
centre statues have been placed in front of trees. |
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