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| The skeleton of a prehistoric woman. (Photo: AP) |
Italian archaeologists excavating in the Roman Forum have uncovered the complete skeleton of a woman who lived 3,000 years ago.
What is surprising about this discovery is that it predates the founding of Rome by at least 300 years.
It has long been known that Bronze Age inhabitants lived in this area before the ancient Romans built the city. However, very few remnants of this society have been brought to light.
Anna De Santis, a participant in the excavation, stated that the woman died at the age of 30. She may have belonged to a noble lineage, as she wore an amber necklace with a gold pendant, a bronze hairpin, and a bronze ring on her finger. Archaeologists also found four bronze hooks used to secure burial cloths.
According to tradition, most ancestors of the ancient Romans were cremated, and their ashes were kept in an urn.
Experts find this new burial site fascinating, as it is not far from where Caesar’s body was buried a millennium later after his assassination. This also marks a significant shift in social customs—from cremation to burial.
M.T.
