A team of archaeologists has uncovered a substantial necropolis in the municipality of San Giorgio Bigarello, located in northern Italy. The site holds 22 graves containing human remains and a diverse array of grave goods, including many well-preserved weapons. The findings were reported in a scientific publication by Archeao Reporter, signaling a significant addition to the record of early European burial practices.
Experts describe the tomb as about 5,000 years old and note the presence of flint daggers, knives, and elaborate arrowheads. Among the grave goods are necklaces crafted from soapstone, which parallels other copper age artifacts found across northern Italy. The abundance and condition of these items offer a glimpse into the material culture and technological skills of the time.
The skeletons show remarkable preservation, aided by the dry, sandy environment which limited decay. Based on the arrangement of the bodies, researchers interpret the burials as belonging to an early Copper Age culture known in this region as Remedello. The bodies appear with a distinctive posture—knees drawn to the chest and heads oriented toward the northwest—which scholars identify as a cultural marker of this community.
Following the excavation, the investigative team recovered all grave goods from the San Giorgio Bigarello necropolis. Collaborative work with researchers at the University of Bologna is underway to analyzeDNA from the skeletal remains, aiming to better understand lineage, mobility patterns, and connections to neighboring populations of the era. These analyses promise to illuminate social structure and burial practices within the Remedello group, contributing to broader discussions about early metal use and regional interactions in northern Italy.
In related discoveries, researchers have previously uncovered a bronze hand bearing inscriptions in several ancient languages, further underscoring the complexity of this archaeological horizon. The current project continues to enrich the narrative of early European metallurgy and ritual life by tying artifacts, burial customs, and genetic data into a cohesive story about a people who inhabited this landscape thousands of years ago.