An Ancient Prince’s Tomb Featuring A Chariot Was Discovered In Italy, Along With Over 150 Other Artifacts
In Italy, an ancient prince’s tomb featuring a chariot was unearthed among more than 150 artifacts. The tomb was discovered in the Corinaldo Necropolis, which is located in the Ancona province in the central Italian Marche region.
The necropolis dates back to the seventh century B.C. and is associated with an ancient Italic people called the Piceni. They lived between the ninth and third centuries B.C. in what is now the region of Marche and in parts of Abruzzo.
The territory they occupied was called Picenum by the Romans. Eventually, it was incorporated into the Roman Republic. At the site, archaeologists have found a tomb belonging to an ancient prince from the seventh century B.C. Previously, the Corinaldo Necropolis yielded the Tomb of the Prince of Corinaldo in 2018.
The latest find was uncovered during excavations for the ArcheoNevola Project led by the Department of History Cultures Civilization at the University of Bologna.
The Municipality of Corinaldo and the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Ancona and Pesaro Urbino have collaborated on the project, which has been active since 2018.
Recently, investigations have led to the discovery of a pit that is about 12 feet by seven feet. The pit lies within a larger, circular ditch that originally had a diameter of about 100 feet. Inside the pit, there were more than 150 artifacts.
“Of particular note is the presence of a two-wheeled chariot and a prestigious set of bronze objects, including a helmet, a cauldron, and numerous finely decorated containers,” said the Municipality of Corinaldo.
In addition, there was a helm and a cauldron. Some of the objects were related to feasts and banquets that may have been held for the deceased, such as an iron axe for cutting meat and pottery for serving food and drink.
These finds indicate that the owner of the tomb was someone of high status who was greatly revered.
Andrew Mayovskyy – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
A number of the items appeared to have come from the Etruscan civilization, which thrived between the eighth and third centuries B.C. in another part of central Italy.
The Piceni people often traded with them. Throughout history, the two cultures likely maintained a strong trade relationship.
The Piceni society was known to be highly militaristic and usually wasn’t very artistic. The new discovery helps piece together the lives of these ancient people and what their values were.
Researchers are planning to excavate the remaining artifacts and bring them to a local museum for further study.
“Corinaldo can boast the title of the Land of Princes,” said Corinaldo Mayor Gianni Aloisi in a statement.
“A discovery that confirms the historical and cultural value of the Nevola archaeological area that will allow us to know, and perhaps rewrite, the history of our community.”
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