Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - Archaeologists were baffled, to say the least, when they discovered an ancient Roman necropolis containing 67 dressed skeletons buried in 57 ornate tombs. Unearthing ancient Roman tombs is not remarkable, but this particular find is extraordinary.
Several intriguing ancient tombs were unearthed near the ancient city of Tarquinia. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
Workers have been digging near Rome, Italy, preparing to install a solar power plant for the past two years. Experts were called to the site when ancient bones and artifacts started to turn up on a 52-acre patch of land close to the ancient city of Tarquinia.
The shallow tombs were found just 20 inches below the surface. They were almost popping out of the grass, but nobody had ever noticed them before.
Curiously, the unearthed ancient skeletons buried in the tombs were still dressed.
“We found several skeletons still wearing their expensive stockings and shoes,” Emanuele Giannini, lead excavation archaeologist at the site, told CNN. “All these riches, and the fact that the bones show no sign of stress or physical labor, (leads us to believe) these weren’t local farmers, but upper-crust members of Roman families coming from cities.”
Aerial view of the ancient necropolis. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
Scientists found beautiful golden necklaces and earrings, silver rings with amber and engraved initials, precious stones, terracotta pottery, coins, shiny glasses, and amulets among the artifacts. The recovered pieces of clothing gave scientists better knowledge of the people buried in the tombs.
Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
Based on the archaeological discoveries, scientists could establish this was an elite necropolis, which was rather surprising because there had been no historical references to a cemetery reserved for aristocrats in this area.
Giannini explained techniques of “pre-emptive archaeology” such as field surveys and trial trenches were used to identify potentially ancient constructions below ground.
“We did have a faint idea that some treasure could lie there, as historical sources mentioned the location of a postal station for travelers near the site,” explained Giannini. “Many Romans would stop (here) for the night to eat and rest, but the magnitude of the discovery is unmatched.”
Luxurious Burial Goods
As reported by CNN, "the diversity of funerary objects laid near the remains, and the luxurious designs and linings inside the tombs, have led archaeologists to believe that the occupants wanted to recreate heavenly spaces similar to their earthly homes. The interior of many tombs originally featured elaborate cloth linings, or were surrounded and covered by tiles or terracotta pieces like little houses.
Many beautiful artifacts were found. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
Giannini said another astounding aspect is that most of the discovered tombs were communal — built for at least two occupants who likely shared a family link. A few skeletons were found wrapped around each other.
Excavations were carried out at the cemetery. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
“Building tombs for entire family nuclei is a typical ancient Roman trait,” he said, “but these are outstanding in their inner decor, which shows wealth and status.”
Authorities are hopeful more hidden wonders will come to light as digs for the solar park move to another nearby site.
Beautiful ancient earrings found by archaeologists. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
“We are excavating a huge rural area to redevelop the land and are balancing the need to avoid ruining such unique wonders with the goal of boosting clean energy production,” Margherita Eichberg, art heritage superintendent of the provinces of Viterbo and southern Etruria for Italy’s Culture Ministry, told CNN. The area where the necropolis has been discovered will not form part of the solar park and will be cordoned off for safety reasons without public access.
“This is the fascination and beauty of Italy: Each time there’s a dig, incredible wonders from the past come out of the ground which need to be preserved.”
See also: More Archaeology News
Before the public can view these remarkable archaeological finds, experts must carry out important studies. The next step is now to conduct forensic tests on the unearthed skeletons and investigate the burial goods. The results of these analyses will help scientists to determine the origins of the deceased. Hopefully, the research team will learn who these people were, where they came from, as well as how they lived and died.
Later, the skeletons and ancient objects recovered from the necropolis will be put on display at the Medieval castle of Santa Severa in the coastal town of Santa Marinella.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
