Additional human remains have emerged during excavation work in the historic centre of Montesano sulla Marcellana, near the area where two earlier burials had already been found.

The new finds were reported in the same central zone that produced the previous discoveries. According to the available reporting, the remains still require study, and the number of individuals represented by this latest emergence has not been established.

Enel works in Piazza Gagliardi

The excavation was associated with Enel works in Piazza Gagliardi, near the municipal headquarters. Work was stopped after the discovery, and an archaeologist of the Soprintendenza carried out initial checks.

Early reporting on the first discovery referred to two individuals. A short video recorded at the time also describes the Enel excavation in Piazza Gagliardi being halted after human remains were found in the town centre.

Two earlier earth-cut burials

Earlier work in the same area had brought to light two simple earth-cut burials without grave goods, located near the Church of Sant'Anna and the town hall.

Those two burials are the focus of the anthropological analyses begun under the scientific coordination of the Soprintendenza for Salerno and Avellino. The tests are intended to establish dating and biological characteristics of the individuals.

The available reports describe a possible medieval date for the earlier burials. That dating remains a hypothesis under investigation, not an established conclusion.

What the analyses are meant to clarify

For the two previously discovered burials, the analyses are intended to assess dating, age, sex, health and other biological characteristics.

Those results, when available, should provide a firmer basis for interpreting the burials. No final anthropological or archaeological report was available in the material acquired for this article.

A possible connection with the former Church of Santa Sofia has been discussed in local reporting. That connection, like the medieval dating, remains interpretive and is still being investigated.

What is confirmed and what is still unknown

What the reporting confirms so far:

  • Additional remains were found during excavations in the centre of Montesano sulla Marcellana.
  • The works were Enel excavations in Piazza Gagliardi, near the town hall, and were stopped after the discovery.
  • Two earlier simple burials without grave goods had been found nearby, close to Sant'Anna and the town hall.
  • The Soprintendenza is coordinating study of the remains, including anthropological analysis of the two earlier burials.

What is still unresolved:

  • How many individuals are represented by the newly emerging remains.
  • The exact date of either the new remains or the two earlier burials.
  • Whether the burials are connected with the former Church of Santa Sofia and the nearby medieval xenodochio mentioned in local discussion.
  • The conclusions of the ongoing anthropological and archaeological study.

Further information is expected from the Soprintendenza-led investigation once examination and analysis of the remains advance.