2,600-year-old Picene princely chariot burial found near Nuraghe Cirolo, Italy

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Key facts

• A funerary complex over 2,600 years old was found near the municipality of Nuraghe Cirolo in central Italy, organized around the tomb of a prince
• The Piceni were an ancient Italic people who lived from the 9th to 3rd century BCE, initially allied with Rome before revolting and being annexed
• The complex is located near the famous Tomb of the Queen, one of the richest Piceni burials from the Adriatic Iron Age
• The central male burial contained the remains of a currus (two-wheeled chariot), a marker of princely rank, along with a helmet, axe, offensive weapons, and large bronze sheet containers with ceramic lids holding organic material, ceramic fragments, and animal bones
• Unlike typical ring-shaped ditch enclosures in the area, the Nuraghe Cirolo boundary was a ring-shaped palisade identified by regularly spaced post holes with ritual ceramic deposits at their bases
• A nearby female burial contained traces of textiles, ornaments, footwear with metal elements, and fibula brooches at chest, shoulders, pelvis, and feet, plus a large fibula with amber core possibly from a headdress
• The discovery helped solve the mystery of a warrior's tomb found in 2020, suggesting both belong to a broader aristocratic cemetery

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