1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,000 Discovery and Function of the Cruciform Room 1b 00:00:13,139 --> 00:00:19,800 The Cruciform Room, that's the term adopted specifically for this discovery, 2 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,900 that is the ruins found under the arena. 3 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:31,500 They are preserved in an ensemble made of two tunnels 4 00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:35,200 that intersect at a right angle, under the center of the arena, 5 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,100 and form a cross, which explains why we use the term Cruciform Room. 5b 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,000 How was the Cruciform room discovered? 6 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:48,210 It's when the first excavations of the amphitheater took place, 7 00:00:48,210 --> 00:00:53,900 to restore it to its original function 8 00:00:53,900 --> 00:01:00,100 when the habitations were removed that were built in the arena 9 00:01:00,300 --> 00:01:03,800 we made underground surveys, not very deep 10 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:09,590 and we realized there were constructions buried under the arena. 11 00:01:09,590 --> 00:01:17,200 That's when those working on it at that time 12 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:22,800 uncovered the wall that was at the origin of this discovery. 12b 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,800 What was this room used for? 13 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,600 There were quite a few hypotheses about what exactly it was 14 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,060 because when the first discoveries were made in the 19th century 15 00:01:34,060 --> 00:01:38,200 we were very unfamiliar with this kind of structure in an amphitheater. 16 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:43,400 It was during later digs in the 1860s 17 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:48,300 and then more recently in the 1980s and 90s 18 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:50,799 that subsequent research 19 00:01:50,799 --> 00:01:54,300 enabled us to better understand its overall function. 20 00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:59,800 It's an understage area used to make the shows run successfully 21 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,610 that took place in the amphitheater. 22 00:02:02,610 --> 00:02:07,990 It's the equivalent of the backstage area in theaters today, 23 00:02:07,990 --> 00:02:14,200 which are used to handle stage sets and to organize the show. 23b 00:02:14,300 --> 00:02:18,200 Are there any traces of the facilities installed understage? 24 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:23,739 Besides the walls which comprise these tunnels the only preserved elements still visible 25 00:02:23,739 --> 00:02:28,370 which are very clear are these kinds of recesses 26 00:02:28,370 --> 00:02:32,560 in the walls. 27 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:38,600 They are holes that were created specifically, 28 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,800 in the original masonry work, since we can clearly see 29 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:49,000 that the form is perfectly adapted to the wall and that it was not a hole 30 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,840 made at some later date. These recesses, quite obviously, 31 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:59,120 are part of the elements, most likely in wood, 32 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,300 that were installed in the underground rooms. 33 00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:04,100 They were undoubtedly inserted into the walls 34 00:03:04,100 --> 00:03:07,200 and most likely inserted in and placed on the floor. 35 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,690 They were used to handle the scenery, 36 00:03:10,690 --> 00:03:15,200 machines, hoists, cages-- 37 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:20,750 all the material that was necessary for smooth operations in the understage area. 38 00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:26,370 This understage area was used to introduce items necessary for everything that was taking place above. 39 00:03:26,370 --> 00:03:32,129 So there was very sophisticated infrastructure which has completely disappeared 40 00:03:32,129 --> 00:03:37,290 because these items were either taken or destroyed, and have disappeared. 41 00:03:37,290 --> 00:03:44,030 But these traces are the proof that these underground installations were indeed used for this type of activity. 42 00:03:44,030 --> 00:03:47,200 We also know some other amphitheaters in the Roman world 43 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,800 that are rather well preserved and in which similar installations were found.