8 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Latest Surprises Revealed by Investigations Inside the Tomb of Cerberus in Giugliano

The latest surprise revealed by investigations at the Tomb of Cerberus in Giugliano: The remains of a corpse covered with a shroud, with ointment and perfume containers nearby.

This discovery was announced today by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples.

In preparation for excavations in the nearby necropolis and the Ministry of Culture-funded restoration of the frescoes, investigations into the Tomb of Cerberus in Giugliano are ongoing. The sarcophagus had been sealed for over 2,000 years, but now a gap has been opened, providing access to its interior, thanks to a targeted intervention and the use of a micro camera.

The excavation activities, coordinated by the archaeologist Dr. Simona Formola, have led to the exceptional discovery of a burial in excellent condition, with a supine body covered by a shroud, probably mineralized due to the unique climatic conditions of the burial chamber, surrounded by grave goods, among which several unguentaria and strigils stand out. The particular care given to the buried individual and the chronology of the objects found suggests that it could be the progenitor of the family for whom the mausoleum was built.

The entrance to the tomb of the Cerbero. Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples
The entrance to the tomb of the Cerbero. Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples

“The Tomb of Cerberus continues to provide valuable information about the Phlegraean area near Liternum, expanding knowledge of the past and offering opportunities for multidisciplinary research,” declared Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers has taken samples from previous inhumations on the funeral beds within the mausoleum and examined them. A genus of perennial herb known as goosefoot, chenopodium, and wormwood were found through pollen analysis and microscope observation. To help stop decomposition, these were probably rubbed onto the bodies in the form of creams. DNA analysis is being done on samples taken from the human remains.

“In recent months, laboratory analyses conducted on samples taken from the burials and depositional beds have yielded a significant amount of data on the treatment of the bodies and the funerary rituals performed, significantly enriching our understanding,” stated a team guided by the Superintendency.

Detail of the interior of the sarcophagus being excavated, with the shroud and some funerary treeds. Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples
Detail of the interior of the sarcophagus being excavated, with the shroud and some funerary treeds. Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples

More intriguing data from the hypogeum and surrounding necropolis, along with ongoing laboratory sampling and analysis activities, will surely be uncovered in the upcoming months. These data will be helpful in reconstructing the historical and social landscape of an ancient community that still has a lot to tell.

Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples

Cover Photo: Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan area of Naples

Related Articles

Oldest found human traces on Roof of the World, Is it art?

21 October 2021

21 October 2021

Dr. David Zhang and his team’s investigations of Quesang on the Tibetan Plateau in 2018 and 2020 sparked controversy, along...

Archaeologists unearth hidden tunnels under the 3,000-year-old temple complex

6 June 2022

6 June 2022

Archaeologists have discovered a system of hidden tunnels beneath the 3,000-year-old Chavín de Huántar temple complex in the Ancash Region...

Archaeologists discover complete armored 14th-century gauntlet in Switzerland

18 January 2024

18 January 2024

Excavations in Kyburg in the canton of Zürich, northeastern Switzerland have discovered a 14th-century fully preserved gauntlet of armor in...

A well-preserved lion mosaic discovered in the Ancient City of Prusias ad Hypium

16 November 2023

16 November 2023

Archaeologists found a lion mosaic during excavations carried out in the Ancient City of Prusias ad Hypium. Excavations have been...

Archaeologists discover medieval a tableman gaming piece in Bedfordshire, England

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

Archaeologists in Bedfordshire, England, have made an intriguing discovery: a tableman gaming piece was discovered at a medieval site. Cotswold...

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art will launch “The Painters of Pompeii” on June 26

23 June 2021

23 June 2021

A number of collection highlights will travel to North America for the first time as part of the exhibition The...

Archaeologists unearth first archaeological evidence about Anatolia’s mysterious Kaska community, sworn enemies of the Hittites

16 January 2025

16 January 2025

In the course of the excavations conducted by Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University‘s Department of Archaeology, artifacts from the Late Bronze...

An Amazing Discovery in the 1900-year-old Rock Church, – Sand Dollar Fossil

5 March 2024

5 March 2024

Located in the eastern province of Diyarbakır’s Eğil district, the rock church, the walls of which are decorated with different...

Undeciphered Rongorongo Script from Easter Island may Predate European Colonization

12 February 2024

12 February 2024

From the depths of history, a wooden tablet bearing the mysterious “rongorongo” script has been unearthed from the small, remote...

The Oldest Odin Inscription in the World Found in the Vindelev treasure

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

Scientists have identified the earliest known inscription referring to the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed...

The World’s Largest Pyramid Is Hidden Within a Hill in Mexico

8 October 2022

8 October 2022

The largest and tallest pyramids in the world are incredible feats of design, engineering, and construction. The Great Pyramid of...

The camel carvings in Saudi Arabia are 8000 years old!

15 September 2021

15 September 2021

Life-size animal reliefs found in Saudi Arabia were carved almost 8,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, when the desert...

Washi papers discovered inside a 675-year-old Buddhist statue in Japan

3 February 2024

3 February 2024

The carved head of an ancient Buddhist statue hidden in the Myooin temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan, has revealed pages...

Bidnija olive trees have seen medieval, not the Roman period

13 July 2021

13 July 2021

The olive trees in the Bidnija grove on the island of Malta are believed to be 2000 years old. But...

New Evidence could Change the Date People First Arrived in North America

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

While investigating the origins of agriculture, researchers made an unexpected discovery. According to an unexpected finding made by an Iowa...