Rome wasn't built in a day. In fact it took longer than anyone imagined. The New York Times reports of an 11 mile archaeological dig last summer from central Rome revealing that the Romans were erecting monuments far longer than thought.

It turns out they were in the construction business 300 years before the Colosseum in a city state called Gabii not far from Rome. The team led by Nicola Terrenato says they found the "ruins of a vast complex of stone walls and terraces connected by a grand stairway and surrounded by many rooms, a showcase of wealth and power spread over an area more than half the size of a football field."

Called the Gabii Project, it has been uncovering the city-state since 2007.

The ruins contradicts the idea that Roman architecture was modest and unassuming and that they didn't start building massive structures until they conquered Greece later in the second century B.C.

Over the past six years, the Gabii project has found houses, burial sites, city walls, temples, and other structures that suggest that even all the way back in 300 B.C. No wonder their public transportation sucks right now. All these digs are giving progress a pause.

[http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/science/romes-start-to-architectural-hubris.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1&" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">New York Times]