A large Roman venue hosting horse-drawn chariot races in antiquity has been found in northern Spain at the Iruña-Veleia site. Situated 10 kilometers from Vitoria-Gasteiz, it was found to contain a Roman circus measuring 280 meters (approximately 920 feet) in length, capable of seating around 5,000 spectators! This finding, revealed by the excavation leaders using remote sensing techniques, highlighted the outlines of the stands and the circus. Iruña-Veleia: Roman Circus Town? The discovery suggests that Iruña-Veleia was more significant than previously believed. This announcement was made by Basque institutions and Arkikus archaeology company leaders, brothers Iker and Javier Ordoño, who first identified signs of the circus in 2020 using aerial photographs and helped by their color blindness, reports Arkikus, who’re carrying out the investigation. The researchers explained that:  “It gives an idea of the importance that Iruña-Veleia had. Not just anyone had a circus like this, with 280 meters it's like having three soccer fields lined up one behind the other.” The discovery was enabled through "surface remote sensing of the site via historical and modern aerial photographs, LiDAR laser scanner mapping, and drone images." Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesEuropeRead Later