Archaeologists Uncover 2,600-Year-Old Necropolis at Pasta Garofalo Site, Revealing Rare Mediterranean Trade Goods
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 23
Archaeologists Uncover 2,600-Year-Old Necropolis at Pasta Garofalo Site, Revealing Rare Mediterranean Trade Goods
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 23
Summary
Excavation for a 2025-26 expansion at Pasta Garofalo's factory in Gragnano uncovered a sixth-century B.C. necropolis with rows of stone tombs, human remains, pottery and other artifacts.
Several burial chambers preserved unusually fragile materials — including textiles, wooden objects and woven baskets — giving researchers rare evidence of Archaic-period funerary practices and daily life.
Egyptian scarabs, amber animal ornaments and silver and bronze items of Etruscan origin point to Gragnano's role as a Mediterranean crossroads linking Greek, Egyptian and Etruscan worlds.
Researchers will now analyze the osteological remains to study the ancient community's diet, mobility and living conditions, extending a run of major necropolis discoveries in Italy.
Will a modern pasta factory's expansion ultimately destroy or immortalize the massive 2,600-year-old city of the dead discovered directly beneath it?
How did ancient elites in a pre-Roman Italian town acquire rare Egyptian scarabs, and what does it reveal about forgotten trade networks?
What secret environmental conditions beneath an Italian pasta factory allowed fragile 2,600-year-old textiles and baskets to survive completely intact?