Roman funerary urn unearthed in Italy, 19th-century chocolate factory discovered in Spain, Iron Age cemetery found with humans alongside dogs and horses.
Ancient Roman Funerary Altar Found Peeking Out Of A Dried-Up Riverbed In Northeastern Italy
Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio del Friuli Venezia GiuliaWeighing in at six tons, this limestone altar sat undisturbed in the Torre riverbed since Rome’s Imperial Era, which ended more than 1,500 years ago.
A man named Ervino Silvestri was recently walking along the Torre riverbed in northeastern Italy’s Udine province when he happened to notice something strange peeking out of the gravel — which turned out to be a six-ton funerary altar from the days of ancient Rome. Aside from its upper right corner, the altar remains astonishingly intact, with an inscription of the family name still visible alongside ornate carvings of Erotes, winged gods associated with love and sex.
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Forgotten 19th-Century Chocolate Factory Unearthed In Barcelona
Archaeology Service of BarcelonaArchaeologists found a number of items in the former chocolate factory, including these storage vessels.
Archaeologists made a sweet discovery while examining a house in Barcelona, Spain: a chocolate factory from the 19th century.
For most of the 1800s, the renowned chocolatier produced treats that were sent across the Spanish empire. Sadly, it was forgotten by time — until now.
Dig deeper in this report.
Excavations Of An Iron-Age Cemetery In Italy Reveal Skeletons Buried Alongside Dogs And Horses
Laffranchi et al., 2024The skeletal remains of a dog buried alongside a human baby at Seminario Vescovile.
Thousands of years ago, mourners laid their loved ones to rest at a site in present-day Verona, Italy. But they didn’t send them off to the afterlife alone. Archaeologists have discovered dozens of graves at the site, a handful of which also contain dogs and horses.
The so-called Seminario Vescovile site suggests that a deep bond existed between humans and animals, though whether the animals held religious symbolism or had emotional importance for ancient people is unclear.
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