Discovery of the 2,800-year-old tomb of a Picenian prince, the only one of its kind in Italy

The richly equipped unique tomb of the pre-Romanesque prince could have been irrevocably destroyed - a new sports complex was planned to be built on the site. However, the plans were scuppered literally at the last minute by aerial and then geophysical surveys.

Between the ninth and third centuries BC, the people known as the Piceni moved from central Italy to what is now Marche and northern Abruzzo. This was one of the most important cultures in pre-Roman Italy. Recently, archaeologists from the University of Bologna found a large Picene tomb from the 7th century BC in the area.

It was the aforementioned aerial photography that led the experts to identify the site. Subsequent geophysical surveys helped to understand the extent and internal structure of the area, including the discovery of a third circular ditch that was not visible on the aerial photographs. The geophysical survey provided significant information and safely confirmed the archaeological potential prior to the commencement of excavation.

Lead archaeologist Federica Boschi referred to the find as the "Tomb of the Prince of Pizen". It was originally covered by a mound and surrounded by a moat. According to Boschi, "...no other Picene tombs have been discovered in this area, although it used to be a strategic site for cultural clash and interaction between different pre-Roman populations." The grave furnishings were very rich - e.g. Numerous bronze helmets, swords and other weapons, bronze vessels and a war chariot with iron wheels are evidence of the aristocratic status of the deceased," Boschi says. The recovered vessels come from Etruria, home of the Etruscans.

It is the only discovery of its kind in the region so far; it offers a quite extraordinary opportunity to explore the Picenian culture, which hitherto little understood by specialists, despite its undoubted importance in the pre-Roman development of the area. The preservation of this archaeological material on such a scale and importance is a very rare event in contemporary European archaeology.

The exceptionally rich tomb testifies to a high-ranking figure in early Iron Age society. One of the many outstanding finds among the hundred or so ceramic vessels is an imported olla (ceramic irrigation vessel) imported from ancient Daunia. Such a tomb undoubtedly symbolizes the significant political, military and economic power of the "prince". A deeper study of the pottery and other finds will undoubtedly spark a whole new insight into the cultural and commercial connections of the aristocracy of the time in this region.

Roman Němec

Sources: archaeology.org, unilad.co.uk