Spina, the half-mythical Etruscan "Venice" on the swampy Po delta, was one of the world's great cities in the 5th century B.C. Ancient writings tell tales of its wealth and luxury, but over the centuries the silt of the Po has been pushing the shore line into the Adriatic. Cut off from the sea, Spina declined in late Roman times to a village; then it disappeared. Cemeteries believed to be connected with it were found and recently excavated by both thieves and archaeologists (TIME, Nov. 8, 1954), but the remains of the city itself lay obstinately hidden under the flats and...
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