“Unlocking Ancient Secrets: Stunning Grave Goods Unearthed in Mysterious Pre-Roman Necropolis of Northern Italy”
Archaeologists Discover An Ancient Necropolis In Trento
During a recent project to restore an historic building on Via Santa Croce in the Alpine city of Trento, Italy, workers came across a sprawling ancient necropolis more than 25 feet beneath the current street level. Researchers from the Archaeological Heritage Office of the Autonomous Province of Trento set out to uncover the history of the site — and they were stunned by what they found.
The Iron Age tombs had been undisturbed for more than 2,500 years, likely due to their location. In the first millennium B.C.E., the nearby Fersina Creek flowed through the area, and the necropolis was built on a part of the riverbed that was subject to flooding. As the stream crested its banks over the centuries, silt and sediment sealed the graves, perfectly preserving what was inside.
Archivio Ufficio Stampa PATExcavations unearthed weapons such as spearheads, like the one pictured here.
So far, archaeologists have unearthed 200 graves, many of which contained artifacts that indicated the deceased were high-status individuals. The necropolis was seemingly in use between the ninth and sixth centuries B.C.E., in the midst of the Iron Age.
“The Iron Age is a period of profound transformations from a historical-cultural point of view throughout the Mediterranean, in the Alpine arc and beyond the Alps,” said Superintendent Franco Marzatico, as reported by Finestre sull’Arte. “The great civilizations of the Etruscans, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Celts flourished. These are also the times of the first Olympics, which are traditionally dated to 776 B.C.E., and the foundation of Rome in 753 B.C.E.”
Post Comment