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Sewer workers in Italy recently uncovered a 2,300-year-old tomb that “showed signs of ancient disturbance,” according to local officials.
The news was announced by the Brindisi and Lecce Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape in a Facebook post on Sept. 8.
In a translated version of the post, officials said the discovery was made in Manduria, a commune in Puglia.
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The tomb dates back to the 4th century B.C. and belonged to the Messapian civilization, a pre-Roman culture.
Officials said the burial “belonged to a small funerary complex, [and] is divided into two spaces.”
The entrance “shows traces of painted plaster in red with a horizontal raised white band running along the walls,” per officials.
“This space yielded numerous ceramic objects in primary deposition, including vases, oil lamps, unguent jars and plates, all datable to the 4th century B.C.,” the post read.
The burial chamber entrance also featured a two-panel door that was plastered red.
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“Several [plaster] fragments were recovered,” the statement added. “The chamber itself also preserves traces of painted plaster.”
It went on, “On the southern side, four rectangular recesses have been identified at the base, likely intended as supports for a funerary bed.”
“[A second tomb] was still sealed but found to be devoid of grave goods, evidently already looted.”
Interestingly, archaeologists found that the site “show[ed] signs of ancient disturbance.” It is believed that ancient looters perforated the walls to get into nearby burials.
“[A second tomb] was still sealed but found to be devoid of grave goods, evidently already looted,” the statement said.
“However, inside the fill of this second burial, a Roman coin was discovered — a Republican denarius, evidence of the area’s continued use and [presence] during the Roman period.”
Officials are working on developing a 3D digital model of the tomb for “future accessibility through digital technologies,” the statement added.
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“[This excavation] has made it possible to add new elements to our understanding of the funerary practices of the Messapian center of Manduria during the Hellenistic age,” officials concluded.
The latest discovery comes on the heels of several exciting tomb-related finds in Italy.
This summer, three ancient “fairy houses” – which are actually burial chambers – were uncovered on the Italian island of Sardinia.
Around the same time, archaeologists uncovered an Etruscan tomb roughly 30 miles north of Rome – an unusual find that hadn’t been looted.
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