The history of the ruins of Ostia is long and complicated. It is the story of barbarian invasions and raids by pirates, Richard Coeur de Lion, popes and aristocrats. The archaeologists and historians studying the harbours of Rome do not just work with what can be seen today. They also work their way through old manuscripts and engravings. For a long time Ostia did not have its own museum, and the finds ended up in dozens of museums and private collections: in Italy especially in the Vatican Museums, in other European countries and in North America. Often no more is known than "Found in Ostia", sometimes with the period of excavation. Countless objects still lie hidden in the storage rooms of the museums and in unknown private collections.
The excavations of the Square of the Lares in 1916. Photo: Archivio Fotografico Ostia, neg. B 2162.