Archaeological work in Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy, has been ongoing for decades, consistently revealing new insights into the region’s rich history. Recently, a preventive excavation ahead of construction work unearthed a significant section of a Samnite necropolis, dating back to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The find has yielded 34 burials, but it is the graves of the children that have captured the attention of archaeologists and historians alike, due to the presence of mysterious and oversized bronze belts, typically associated with adult male warriors. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the complex funerary rituals and social structures of the Samnite people.
The cemetery at Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy. Right, child grave. (Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino)
The Discovery at Pontecagnano Faiano
The Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Salerno and Avellino has been overseeing the archaeological protection of Pontecagnano Faiano since the 1960s. This long-term project has allowed for a continuous acquisition of knowledge about the ancient Etruscan-Campanian center, which existed from the 9th century BC to the Roman Age.
The latest discovery was made in an area once occupied by a tobacco factory, where a section of the southern necropolis was fully investigated. The 34 burials were organized by family nucleus, with most being simple earthen graves covered with tiles. However, two graves were found with travertine caskets and one with a tuff casket, suggesting a higher social status for those individuals.
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One of the two child burials which contained large bronze belts. (Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino)
The Mysterious Child Burials
Of the 34 burials, 15 were of infants and children between the ages of two and ten. While the grave goods for adults were typical for the Samnites – weapons such as spearpoints and javelins for men, and jewelry like rings and fibulae for women – the child burials presented a puzzle. In two of the graves, belonging to children aged between five and ten, archaeologists found large bronze belts.
These belts, usually a distinctive feature of adult male warrior burials, were clearly too large for the children. This has led to several interpretations. The belts may have been a symbolic rite of passage into adulthood that the children could not achieve in life, or they could have served a protective role, signaling the child’s membership in a noble warrior family to the denizens of the underworld. The presence of these belts in children’s graves is a unique and unprecedented find in Samnite archaeology.
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A similar bronze belt found in Samnite contexts in Italy, 350-325 BC. (© MET Museum)
Samnite Culture and Funerary Practices
The Samnites were an ancient Italic people who inhabited the south-central Apennine region of Italy. They were known for their martial prowess and were formidable adversaries of the early Roman Republic, engaging in a series of conflicts known as the Samnite Wars. The grave goods found in the necropolis are consistent with what is known of Samnite culture, with the exception of the child burials. The pottery found, such as paterae, skyphoi, and lekythoi, were used for banquets and as containers for ointments. The discovery of these burials, particularly the unusual child graves, will undoubtedly contribute to a deeper understanding of the Samnite people and their beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Top image: A photo of one of the child burials at the Samnite necropolis in Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy. The skeleton is in a pit grave, with a large bronze belt placed over its waist. Source: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino
By Gary Manners
References
Fraga, K. 2024. Archaeologists In Italy Just Found An Ancient Necropolis Containing Children Mysteriously Buried With Massive Bronze Belts. Available at: https://allthatsinteresting.com/italy-samnite-necropolis
Milligan, M. 2024. Ancient Italian necropolis reveals children buried with warrior belts. Available at: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/03/ancient-italian-necropolis-reveals-children-buried-with-warrior-belts/157359
