tombs

After some works done by the Navarolo di Casalmaggiore Consortium of Reclamation, some graves have emerged in San Martino dell’Argine, in the province of Mantua.

Excavations and archeological discovery

The 11 tombs have been brought to light in a range of about 350 metres; three of them present a covering, made of gabled bricks, known as “cappuccina”; these tombs appear to be divided into 4 seemingly separated cores.

The inhumation burials have unearthed adults and a few children. The complete absence of a funerary equipment makes it complicated to have a precise chronological dating, but the employment of reused bricks, especially inside the more structured graves, suggests the early medieval age. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of holes belonging to wooden buildings and to ancient canals, which contain ceramic fragments.

Occasional traces of prehistoric presence in the area have emerged from the diggings as well, and they are confirmed by the existence of a drainage well that contains small ceramic mixture fragments, confirming the flint retrieval during the initial investigations of 2020. The findings will allow to improve the knowledge of the area history, which will be useful to better understand the population dynamics of the Mantuan area.

Mayor Alessio Renoldi’s words

“Seeing those tombs buried for about 1.500 years in San Martino was both a surprise and an emotion. They’re invaluable pieces of history which confirm very early settlements in our territory, and this cannot help but arouse curiosity about the origins of our country. Obviously, we will try to make the best out of these discoveries, and we will provide as many information as possible to the citizens. I also hope that further investigation may bring out more fragments of history and knowledge of the town.”

Translation from: NEWS | Riaffiorano sepolture a San Martino dall’Argine (Mn)