Giugliano. An incredible discovery has been made inside the Tomb of Cerberus in Giugliano, in the province of Naples.
The skeleton, presumably belonging to the founder of the family who commissioned the tomb, was found inside a sarcophagus that had been sealed for over 2000 years.
Thanks to a targeted operation, conducted after an inspection with a microcamera, it was possible to access the interior of the sarcophagus.
The excavation activities, led by the archaeologist Simona Formola of the Archaeological Superintendency of Naples, have revealed the extraordinary conservation of the the body, placed in a supine position.
The man was wrapped in a shroud, probably mineralized due to the particular climatic conditions of the burial chamber, and surrounded by objects from the funeral trousseau, including ointment jars and strigils.
The careful burial and the dating of the finds suggest that he may have been the founder of the family responsible for building the mausoleum.
The investigations inside the Tomb of Cerberus continue, with the aim of resuming the excavations in the surrounding necropolis and restoring the frescoes, thanks to the funding of the Ministry of Culture and to the commitment of Minister Sangiuliano, who visited the site last November.
“The Tomb of Cerberus continues to reveal valuable information about the Phlegraean territory near Liternum, expanding our knowledge of the past and offering opportunities for multidisciplinary research”, declared the Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo.
“In the last few months”, continued Nuzzo, “Laboratory analyses conducted on samples taken from bodies and funerary beds have provided a significant amount of data on the treatment of the deceased and on funeral rituals, significantly enriching our knowledge.
A team effort led by the Superintendency, which saw the collaboration of archaeologists, technicians, anthropologists, paleobotanists and chemists, united in the common goal of interpreting the data collected and revealing the history of the site over time".
Complex procedures for tissue analysis have been put in place, conducted by Margaret Gleba of the University of Padua, to determine the structure of the yarns, the type and quality of the fabrics, in order to obtain cultural and sociological information. Microscopic observations were conducted by Maria Rosaria Barone Lumaga of the Federico II University of Naples on organic substances present in some containers.
Pollen analyses, conducted by archaeobotany Monica Stanzione in collaboration with Mark Marchesini e Silvia Marvelli of the CAA (Giorgio Nicoli Agriculture and Environment Centre), suggest that the bodies may have been treated with creams based on chenopodium and wormwood to aid their conservation.
The DNA analyses of the individuals are still underway, carried out by the bio-anthropologist Barbara Albanese in collaboration with Pontus Skoglund, Thomas Booth and Sarah Johnston of the Skoglund Ancient Genomics Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute.
The continuation of archaeological investigations and laboratory analyses in the coming months will allow us to collect new data of great interest, not only from the hypogeum but also from the surrounding necropolis, helping to reconstruct the historical and social panorama of an ancient community that still has much to reveal.
Article published on 22 July 2024 - 17:00
