10 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Nineteen Ancient Tombs from the 4th Century BC Unearthed in Padula, Campania

In Padula, located in the Campania region of southern Italy, authorities announced the remarkable discovery of nineteen ancient tombs during archaeological excavations, unearthing a variety of grave goods and artifacts that provide valuable insights into the area’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

On Wednesday, February 5, authorities disclosed the outcomes of a significant operation aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage. The Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Salerno and Avellino, in collaboration with the Lagonegro Prosecutor’s Office and the Carabinieri’s Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, presented to the media and the public the results of an archaeological excavation conducted following the identification of unauthorized construction activities in Padula, located in the Campania region of southern Italy.

Last summer, reports emerged regarding illicit construction work on a parcel of land in the locality of Contrada Cicirelli, where a stable was intended to be erected. However, these activities resulted in significant damage to a cluster of ancient burials. Upon assessing the situation, the relevant authorities promptly secured the area and, in conjunction with the Soprintendenza, initiated an urgent intervention to recover and preserve the affected remains.

The slab of the warrior's tomb with the engraving of the horseman. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno
The slab of the warrior’s tomb with the engraving of the horseman. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno

The excavations yielded the recovery of nineteen tombs, predominantly of the “a cappuccina” type, characterized by beds and walls constructed from tegulae, with the covering also composed of these ceramic slabs arranged in a gabled configuration. In certain instances, the remains were interred directly in pits excavated into the earth, marked by a large stone indicating the position of the deceased’s head.

Furthermore, several of these burials contained grave goods, primarily consisting of black-glazed ceramics and vases adorned with red-figure depictions of female figures, attributed to workshops in the Lucania region, likely situated in the Vallo di Diano. Some vases were discovered outside the tombs, suggesting the performance of post-burial rituals. Experts have dated these findings to the latter half of the 4th century BC.

Several of these burials contained grave goods, primarily consisting of black-glazed ceramics and vases adorned with red-figure depictions of female figures. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno
Several of these burials contained grave goods, primarily consisting of black-glazed ceramics and vases adorned with red-figure depictions of female figures. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno

Among the most remarkable discoveries was tomb number 64, an “a cappuccina” burial that contained a funerary assemblage comprising several black-glazed vases and an undecorated small pot. Within this pot, archaeologists uncovered a silver coin, a diobol minted in Tarentum between 380 and 325 BC, featuring the image of the goddess Athena on the obverse and a representation of Hercules slaying the Nemean lion on the reverse.

Additionally, one of the slabs covering the grave exhibited a rudimentary engraving made prior to firing, depicting a figure of a man on horseback. The horse is illustrated in full gallop, while the rider, adorned with a helmet, raises one arm as if to hurl an object, potentially a spear. This detail implies that the deceased may have been a warrior, indicative of a person of high status within the community.

The tomb of another warrior was found with the belt. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino
The tomb of another warrior was found with the belt. Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino

In another burial, researchers identified a grave assemblage consisting of numerous black-glazed and red-figure vases, including a krater, a vessel associated with symposium rituals, embellished with female imagery. Accompanying the ceramic artifacts were an iron knife, a bronze belt worn by the deceased at the time of burial, several metal spits, two fire supports, and a lead candelabrum.

The presence of the belt suggests that the deceased was also a warrior, while the household items further reinforce the notion of his significant role within both the domestic and social spheres. The distribution pattern of the tombs and their characteristics have led experts to hypothesize a potential association with an ancient settlement or agricultural site from the period.

Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Salerno e Avellino

Cover Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Salerno e Avellino

Related Articles

1.8-million-year-old ‘human tooth’ discovered in Georgia

9 September 2022

9 September 2022

An ancient human tooth discovered by archaeologists in Georgia dates back 1.8 million years, firmly establishing the area as the...

16th-Century Shipwreck Discovered at Record Depth Off French Mediterranean Coast

12 June 2025

12 June 2025

The deepest shipwreck ever documented in French territorial waters has been found over 2,500 meters below the surface. In a...

Famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass Wants to See Hieroglyphs as an İntegral Part of The Curriculum

23 February 2021

23 February 2021

The Egyptian council of ministers is discussing the introduction of archaeological and tourist materials in the education curriculum to help...

Researchers identified, for the first time, the composition of a Roman perfume more than 2,000 years old

25 May 2023

25 May 2023

A research team at the University of Cordoba has identified, for the first time, the composition of a Roman perfume...

The first Bull Geoglyph discovered in central Asia

29 September 2021

29 September 2021

Archaeologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of History of Material Culture (IIMK RAS) and LLC Krasnoyarsk Geoarchaeology discovered...

Ancient Hebrew “Incantation Bowls” discovered in a home in Israel

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said Monday that 1,500-year-old magical “incantation bowls” and other rare and ornate bone and ivory...

The 4,500-year-old Wisconsin canoe was built around the same time that Stonehenge was being constructed

31 May 2024

31 May 2024

Historians from Wisconsin have reported the amazing finding of at least eleven prehistoric canoes in Lake Mendota, which is close...

Climate has influenced the growth of our bodies and our brain

8 July 2021

8 July 2021

Over 300 fossils from the genus Homo have been measured for body and brain size by an interdisciplinary team of...

A unique golden sun bowl was discovered during an archaeological survey in Ebreichsdorf, Austria

3 October 2021

3 October 2021

A golden sun bowl and several hundred bronze objects were discovered during archaeological excavations in a prehistoric settlement in today’s...

Archaeologists found 5 unique sculptures representing the Kakatiya art style in Siddipet

19 July 2021

19 July 2021

13th-century statues were found near a temple tank in the Siddipet district in the northern province of Telangana, India. On...

A 3800-year-old cylinder seal was discovered at Turkey’s Tepebag Mound excavations

8 July 2022

8 July 2022

In the 2022 excavations of Tepebag Mound, located around Taşköprü, the center of Adana province in Turkey’s Mediterranean Region, a...

Scientists may have discovered pieces of the Asteroid that caused the extinction of the Dinosaurs

14 May 2022

14 May 2022

Scientists are piecing together remnants of the day the extinction of the dinosaurs began. A tiny fragment of the asteroid...

Ancient Ruins Hidden Under Thessaloniki Metro Revealed

15 January 2023

15 January 2023

The finds unearthed during the construction of local metro facilities in Thessaloniki, a Greek port city on the Thermaic Gulf...

Well-Preserved Wooden Houses Over 2,000 Years Old Discovered in Zhejiang, China

15 March 2025

15 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find, researchers in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, have uncovered exceptionally well-preserved wooden houses dating back over...

Found Home of the Legendary Viking Woman Who Crossed the Atlantic 500 Years Before Columbus

11 March 2021

11 March 2021

Archaeologists in Iceland recently excavated a farm believed to belong to the legendary Viking woman Gudrid Torbjörnsdottir. She is believed...