Two simple earth-cut graves, possibly dating to the Middle Ages, have come to light in the historic center of Montesano sulla Marcellana, in the province of Salerno.

The burials were discovered during excavation works, reported as works for an Enel conduit, a short distance from the town hall and the church of Sant'Anna. They contained no grave goods and had been partially disturbed by earlier interventions.

The excavation was carried out by archaeologists from Archeoservizi under the scientific coordination of the Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for Salerno and Avellino.

Where the graves were found

The discovery occurred in the heart of the town, in the area of the main square where both the municipality and Sant'Anna church stand.

According to the Municipality of Montesano sulla Marcellana, the present Sant'Anna church was built between 1954 and 1959. Its relatively recent construction makes the possible medieval date of the underlying graves a striking contrast and helps readers understand why archaeologists are treating the location, rather than the visible church building, as the key reference point.

Visitors looking for the area can orient themselves by the main square: the municipality and Sant'Anna church mark the immediate vicinity of the find.

Why a medieval date is suggested

The medieval dating remains preliminary. It is based on the characteristics of the graves and their location, not on a completed analysis.

Both graves are described as earth-cut burials without accompanying objects. That simplicity, combined with their position in the historic center near the church area, has led archaeologists to propose the Middle Ages as a possible period.

No exact date has yet been established.

Researchers have raised a possible connection with the former church of Santa Sofia.

According to the reports, remains of Santa Sofia were partly incorporated into the present Sant'Anna church. The newly found graves may therefore belong to a burial area associated with that earlier church.

This remains an interpretation. Further archaeological and anthropological work will be needed to confirm or revise it.

What happens next

The recovered human remains are scheduled for study by an anthropologist.

The identities, sex, age and cause of death of the individuals have not been reported. The extent of the burial area is also unknown, including whether additional graves survive nearby.

What is confirmed and what is not

Confirmed:

  • Two earth-cut burials without grave goods were found in the historic center of Montesano sulla Marcellana.
  • They lay near the municipality and Sant'Anna church and had been partly cut by earlier works.
  • The excavation was conducted by Archeoservizi under the Salerno and Avellino Superintendency.
  • The human remains will undergo anthropological study.

Not yet established:

  • The exact date of the burials.
  • Who the buried individuals were.
  • Whether the link with the former Santa Sofia church is correct.
  • How large the cemetery was and whether more graves remain.