Archaeology Dictionary:
monumental arch
(triumphal arch) [De]
A large freestanding masonry structure, sometimes straddling a main road or thoroughfare, built in the form of a short length of wall pierced by one or more gateways. The faces of the arch are often decorated or ornamented with carvings and sculpture. Such arches were erected in the Roman world and later to celebrate and commemorate great events such as victory in battle.
