In the vicinity of the town of San Giorgio Bigarello, near the northern Italian city of Mantua, archaeologists have unearthed a substantial Copper Age necropolis dating back approximately 5000 years.

The discovery of this extensive necropolis has proven to be surprising, not only due to the considerable number of excavated tombs—totaling 22—but also due to the archaeological data that holds great promise for researchers.

The unexpectedly high number of graves, along with the discovery of finely crafted weapons in some of them, is anticipated to offer fresh insights into the lives of the prehistoric inhabitants of this northern Italian region.

The initial isolated tombs, excavated in November 2023 and January-February 2024, represented only a small segment of a more extensive cemetery, the exact dimensions of which have likely been obscured over the ages.

Numerous flint weapons, including meticulously crafted daggers, flawless arrowheads, and other blades, were found in several tombs, Arkeonews reported.

Additionally, jewelry such as necklace beads made from materials that raise preliminary questions about chronology, likely dating back to the 4th millennium BCE, was also discovered.

As excavations resumed in January, an additional 19 graves were unearthed, corroborating the archaeologists’ hypothesis that this site was indeed a cemetery rather than a collection of sporadic burials.

The 22 burials were situated just approximately 40 centimeters below the surface.

During the Neolithic (c. 6000–4,000 B.C.) and Chalcolithic (c. 4000-1700 B.C.) periods, the region that now encompasses Mantua was part of the River Mincio basin.

Written by B.C. Begley