Archaeologists make ‘unprecedented’ discovery after unsealing a 2,000-year-old tomb

Archaeologists are stunned after discovering an ancient mummy in Italy that has been perfectly preserved for thousands of years.

The team made the ‘unprecedented’ discovery after opening the 2,000-year-old sarcophagus in the historic ‘Tomb of Cerberus’ in Naples.

The remains were preserved with plant-based creams applied to the bodies before they were sealed in the chamber, providing new and detailed evidence that reveals how ancient Rome embalmed its own dead.

One of the bodies was found covered in a shroud and surrounded by grave goods. When the team unpacked the bodies, it was found that the individual was perfectly preserved.

The special care given to the deceased and the chronology of the objects found suggested that he may have been the founder of the family for whom the mausoleum was built.

Archaeologists have previously found a large number of cemeteries in the same area, dating from the time of the Roman Republic (510 BC to 31 BC) to the Roman Imperial period (31 BC to 476 AD).

The ‘Tomb of Cerberus’ in Giugliano was discovered in 2023 after archaeologists exposed the boundaries of the necropolis.

Further analysis revealed that the structure was the entrance to a burial chamber containing a beautiful fresco of Cerberus, the three-headed dog from ancient Greek mythology believed to be the guardian of the underworld.

Located in Campania, Guigliano was colonized by the ancient Greeks between the 8th and 7th centuries BC.

The grave was discovered by the Department of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscapes. They were shocked not only by the good state in which the bodies were preserved, but also by the method used.

Researchers plan to share photos of the newly found mummies later.

The remains were smeared with cream made from chenopodium, a genus of perennial plants popularly known as goosefoot, and absinthium (wormwood).

The combination has been found on remains in the past, including the body of a 17th-century bishop found beneath a cathedral in Sweden.

The approximately 2,000-year-old sarcophagus, located in Naples in southern Italy, was first examined with a microcamera to assess whether breaking the seal could damage the precious artifacts and remains it contains (pictured above) by exposing them to the air.

A sealed sarcophagus at the ‘tomb of Cerberus’, the three-headed dog from Greek mythology, has been opened – to the surprise of experts with mummies in ‘excellent condition’. The long-sealed chamber, part of a necropolis decorated with ornate frescoes (above), was discovered outside Naples, Italy

However, the mummy that was unwrapped was covered in a shroud that experts believe was mineralized by the climatic conditions in the chamber.

SIn a statement, Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo said: “In recent months, laboratory analyses of samples from the burials and the funeral beds have provided a considerable amount of data on the treatment of the body of the deceased and the funeral ritual performed. This has considerably enriched the panorama of our knowledge.”

The burial chamber was discovered after archaeologists uncovered a wall built using an ancient Roman construction technique known as opus incertum.

This method used irregularly shaped and randomly placed unworked stones. It originated around the second century BC.

This was later found to be the front wall of the tomb, which had been sealed with a heavy slab of tuff, a light, porous stone formed from volcanic ash and other sediments.

To enter the burial chamber, archaeologists had to carefully remove the tiles covering the opening in the ceiling, making what experts say is an “unprecedented” discovery.

They placed a micro camera in the small opening, allowing them to see the bodies inside.

The project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture, is currently conducting DNA analyses on the mummified human remains, in order to identify the various bodies found.