Presumably built for a local elite, this 2,000-year-old mausoleum would have been visible to anyone passing through what was once the Roman colony of Vienne, founded by Julius Caesar in 47 B.C.E.

Archaeologists in France have made an exceptional discovery in Saint-Romain-en-Gal, near Lyon: a well-preserved Roman mausoleum likely modeled after the tomb of Emperor Augustus.

Built around 50 C.E., the structure offers an unprecedented look at elite funerary architecture in Roman Gaul.

Why The Roman Mausoleum Recently Found Near Lyon Is Especially Impressive

In a press statement from the Musée Gallo-Romain , archaeologists describe the monument as a large circular tomb whose interior spanned just over 49 feet and which likely stood nearly 20 feet tall. Its scale and form seem to mirror th

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