ROME, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists working in the northern Italian province of Trentino have uncovered an ancient cemetery that they say could rewrite the history of the region.
The cemetery, described as a "monumental necropolis from the pre-Roman era" in a press release from the regional government on Monday, was found in the city of Trento and contains around 200 tombs. The burial site lies approximately 8 meters below the current surface, beneath layers dating to the Roman and medieval periods.
According to the archaeologists, the site appears to date back to the 9th century B.C. and was in use through the 6th century B.C.
Alongside human remains, the tombs contained personal and artistic artifacts, which have been "perfectly preserved" due to flooding from the nearby Adige River. The river, which winds along the edge of the Alps in northeastern Italy, contributed to the site's remarkable state of preservation. Excavations at the site are ongoing.
"The discovery of the monumental necropolis opens up new possibilities and intriguing interpretative hypotheses for archaeological research in the Trentino area," the press release stated. "It also raises complex questions about the methods of self-representation in funerary practices within a social group whose broader settlement context remains unknown."
