The Lapis Niger is an ancient Roman shrine in Rome. Mentioned in many ancient descriptions of the Roman Forum dating from the Roman Republic and the early days of the Roman Empire, the shrine lies between the forum and the Comitium. The shrine was lost underground due to a combination of overbuilding during the era of the Roman Empire and the chaos of Rome´s fall. The Lapis Niger was rediscovered in the early 20th century by Italian archaeologist Giacomo Boni. It is the site of the oldest known Latin inscription.
