Researchers Find an Iron-Age Princely Tomb in Italy With an Intact War Chariot Loaded With Weapons

Archeologists uncovered an Iron Age tomb with a war chariot in Italy, alongside a variety of items, except the warrior himself. The discovery happened in 2020 from a site at the Nevola River Valey, Live Science reported. Researchers believe that the chariot belonged to the man buried inside the tomb, and judging by the riches found alongside it, had aristocratic status. The tomb was dated back to the seventh century B.C.

The chariot was iron-wheeled and included many battlefield necessities like weapons and a bronze helmet, Live Science reported. The chariot and the tomb were both found in the Corinaldo Necropolis.

Archeologists discovered 150 noteworthy objects including the two-wheeled chariot in the tomb, Smithsonian Magazine reported. The tomb's size is a rectangular fit measuring, 12-by-7-foot, and surrounded by a 100-foot diameter circular basin. Evidence of items like a cauldron, decorated pottery, utensils, and ax indicates that the site was not just a burial ground but also a place where funerary banquets and rituals were held.

After their examination, researchers believe the tomb could have belonged to a prince from the Piceni sect. Items like the chariot provided "unequivocal testimony to the aristocratic status of [its] owner.”

The Piceni group of people lived on the Adriatic coast in Italy between the ninth and third centuries B.C.E. They had distinct cultural and economic practices, which experts hope to understand more about after the discovery of this tomb.

The findings from the tomb have shed more light on the trade relationships between the Piceni people and Italic civilizations like the Etruscans. According to experts, many artifacts found alongside the chariot possibly came from Etruscan elites. This could imply that these groups invested in each other's economy. Researchers are also trying to figure out the funerary traditions followed by this group, with the help of the items recovered in the tomb.

Piceni's historical importance is often overshadowed by the Roman presence that overtook Italy soon after the former's demise, Smithsonian Magazine reported. Experts hope this discovery opens new avenues to learn more about this group that occupied the country for a significant portion of time.

"Corinaldo can boast the title of the Land of Princes," Mayor Gianni Aloisi said. "[This is] a discovery that confirms the historical and cultural value of the Nevola archaeological area, that will allow us to know, and perhaps rewrite, the history of our community."