ces ▁a ▁month . ▁ ▁Ex c av ations ▁begun ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 0 , ▁and ▁were ▁at ▁first ▁successful ; ▁the ▁forum ▁and ▁bas il ica , ▁the ▁ther ma e ▁and ▁the ▁am ph it he atre ▁and ▁private ▁houses ▁with ▁many ▁stat ues ▁( tw elve ▁of ▁mar ble ▁from ▁the ▁bas il ica , ▁and ▁a ▁fine ▁bronze ▁head ▁of ▁Had rian ) ▁and ▁ins cri ptions ▁were ▁discovered . ▁Pre - R oman ▁cre m ation ▁tomb s ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁found , ▁with ▁objects ▁of ▁bronze ▁and ▁iron ▁of ▁no ▁great ▁value . ▁But ▁later ▁exc av ations ▁which ▁were ▁carried ▁on ▁at ▁intervals ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁have ▁given ▁less ▁fruit ful ▁results . ▁The ▁oldest ▁dated ▁monument ▁is ▁a ▁bronze ▁table t ▁with ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁Lex ▁Rub ria ▁de ▁Gall ia ▁c is al p ina ▁of ▁ 4 9 ▁B CE ▁which ▁de alt ▁with ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁justice ▁in ▁C is al pine ▁Ga ul ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁extension ▁to ▁it ▁of ▁the ▁privileges ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁franch ise , ▁the ▁latest ▁an ▁ins cription ▁of ▁ 2 7 6 ▁CE . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁objects ▁found ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁museum ▁at ▁Par ma . ▁ ▁How ▁and ▁when ▁V ele ia ▁was ▁abandoned ▁is ▁uncertain : ▁the ▁previously ▁pre val ent ▁view ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁a ▁lands lip ▁was ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁mistaken ▁by ▁the ▁exc