Archaeologists Stunned to Discover a Bronze Age Tomb With Two Bodies Locked In Embrace, Say They Died at the Same Time

A remarkable archaeological discovery has unearthed a Late Bronze Age tomb containing two bodies locked in an eternal embrace, along with an impressive collection of gold artifacts and pottery at the Metsamor site in Armenia, stated The Archaeologist. The tomb, which dates to 1,200 B.C., yielded dozens of pieces from three gold necklaces, along with the deliberately posed remains of a man and woman in their thirties.

Their cist—a stone-lined chamber—was an extraordinary repository of grave goods that spoke volumes about their social status and the craftsmanship of the era. "Their death is a mystery to us, we do not know the cause, but everything indicates that they died at the same time because there are no traces of the tomb reopening," said Krzysztof Jakubiak, professor of archaeology at the University of Warsaw, stated Ancient Origins.

Inside the almost square tomb, which measured about 8x7 feet, archaeologists found a wooden funeral bed where the couple was lying. She wore bronze bracelets, a ring made from a circlet of tin wire, and personal adornments that gave poignancy to their final repose. Over a hundred amber and carnelian beads were scattered throughout the tomb, once part of the three golden necklaces accompanying them to the afterlife.

The most striking finds included a faience flask, a luxury import from the Syrian-Mesopotamian borderlands. This and a few intact ceramic vessels suggest the couple enjoyed considerable social status within their community. The sophistication of the gold pieces and beads is further evidence of highly developed capabilities in jewelry-making during the 13th century B.C. Armenia. The find is all the more significant because it is one of only a handful of intact burials out of over 100 tombs uncovered so far at Metsamor since excavations began in 1965. About 22 miles west of Armenia's capital, Yerevan, the sprawling Metsamor necropolis covers 250 acres next to a fortified settlement that once commanded the surrounding plain.

It was incomparable, according to Professor Jakubiak, for its time—Metsamor. "Even fortifications made of huge stone blocks have survived to our times, encircling the so-called citadel. At the end of the 2nd millennium B.C., there was no settlement in the region that could be compared in terms of rank and size," stated Ancient Origins. The settlement's golden age extended from the fourth through the second millennium B.C., initially covering 25 acres surrounded by stone walls. In the Early Iron Age—from the 11th to the 9th century B.C.—it grew to as much as ten times its previous size, with numerous temple complexes and sanctuaries. The site continued to be important right through the incorporation of this region into the kingdom of Urarat (biblical Ararat) in the eighth century B.C.

While many questions remain about the identity of these ancient inhabitants, who left no written records, their carefully preserved tomb offers a rare glimpse into Bronze Age Armenian society. The find reflects the sophisticated tradition of metalwork in the region and also preserves a touching testimony to what appears to be an ancient love story, frozen in time for more than three millennia.