Archaeologists in France have unearthed a remarkably well-preserved Roman mausoleum in Saint-Romain-en-Gal, near Lyon, that was modeled on the famous Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome (27 B.C.–14 A.D.), the final resting place of Rome’s first emperor.
Experts describe the discovery as “exceptional,” noting that the monument’s scale and design highlight the prestige of the aristocratic figure buried there and provide a rare glimpse into the grandeur of Roman Gaul nearly 2,000 years ago.
The newly unearthed structure, built around A.D. 50, boasts an interior diameter of 15 meters and is believed to have risen more than six meters high.