1,700-year-old tombs — with links to a gladiator — unearthed in Italy. Take a look
Sifting through the stony dirt of southern Italy, a team of archaeologists expected to find some ancient Roman ruins, but the 1,700-year-old burial ground that reemerged hid a few surprises.
Researchers in Campania began excavating a vast cemetery, or necropolis, on the edge of Liternum Archaeological Park as part of ongoing work at the site, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Naples said in a March 21 news release.
Archaeologists soon uncovered a stone mausoleum separated from the rest of the burial ground by a wall, officials said. A photo shows the blue-tinged mausoleum, which had nooks along its sides for holding funeral urns.
The ancient mausoleum was likely isolated for a ceremonial reason, but archaeologists don’t know what that reasoning might have been.
Outside the mausoleum’s walls were about 20 burials in a variety of styles, officials said. Photos show a few of these graves. One tomb has a skeleton placed on a layer of tile. Another is covered by an A-frame-like structure made of tiles.
Inside the tombs, archaeologists found some vases, lamps and coins, officials said.
The most important artifact found so far was an epitaph, or tombstone, with an inscription referencing a gladiator, archaeologists said. The find is still being analyzed and offers a glimpse into the role of gladiators in ancient Roman society.
Based on the grave styles and artifacts, archaeologists concluded the burial ground was used from 2,100 years ago until 1,700 years ago.
The ancient Roman settlement of Liternum was found in 194 B.C. and thrived for about 400 years before rapidly declining and being abandoned. Today, Liternum Archaeological Park is on the outskirts of Naples and a roughly 130-mile drive southeast from Rome.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Naples.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM with the headline "1,700-year-old tombs — with links to a gladiator — unearthed in Italy. Take a look."
