Ancient tombs found in Italy
An Iron Age necropolis has been uncovered in Atri, in the province of Teramo (Abruzzo), Italy, during construction work for the 'Cellino Attanasio – Pineto' gas pipeline, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The discovery was made in Casoli, Casabianca area, during archaeological monitoring by ArcheoLab.
Excavations conducted by the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of L’Aquila and Teramo have already brought to light ten burial tombs, dated between 850 and 750 BCE. Some tombs still preserve traces of gravel-covered burial mounds ranging from 7 to 15 meters in diameter—a funerary practice typical of protohistoric Abruzzo, but never before documented in this specific area.
The burials belong to both adults and very young children, indicating that all community members were granted social recognition in death.
- “Each tomb and each object found is a silent trace of lives once lived, which we can now return to collective history thanks to the joint effort of institutions, archaeologists, and companies,” said Superintendent Cristina Collettini. She also thanked the mayor of Atri for keeping the discovery confidential to protect the site from natural or human threats.
The discovery, made during modern construction, was possible due to ongoing archaeological surveillance. The Italian Gas Pipeline Company (SGI) adopted technical solutions that preserved the site while allowing the pipeline work to proceed as planned.
