Last updated on September 5th, 2024 at 09:56 pm
The Lovers of Valdaro, or Valdaro Lovers, are two 6,000-year-old skeletons discovered in a Neolithic tomb near Valdaro in Mantua, Italy, in 2007. Their name comes from the fact that they appear locked in an embrace. The burial dates to the Neolithic period, which lasted from 10,000 – 4,500 BCE.
This burial is unique because it was the only double burial among the thirty graves excavated. Double burials. were highly uncommon during the Neolithic period in general. Theare just two of only a few similar burials discovered, like the Alepotrypa Cave in Greece.
Archaeologists have found no evidence of a Neolithic settlement nearby. Still, the region held many small waterways along with the River Po, which would have made it perfect for fishing, hunting, and farming. These factors led many to believe that a large, highly developed community lived in the region.
Scientists estimate that the couple was about 5’2″ (157 cm) tall and around 20 years old when they died. Despite their young age, the couple appeared to have died of natural causes. There’s nothing to indicate that they died violently, as their bones are mostly intact and show no sign of severe trauma.
Several flint tools and blades were buried alongside them, most likely grave goods or some of their possessions buried with them before they died.
We still don’t know much about the two lovers beyond this. Archaeological sites are generally hard to excavate and often even harder to learn from. Carbon dating and DNA testing are slow, and the couple is locked in a permanent embrace, making things harder.
This burial’s uniqueness led the head archaeologist Elena Maria Menotti not to separate the skeletons. Instead, the team carefully excavated the two lovers as a single block of earth and shipped them in a wooden box to the Musei Civici in Como.
Since 2011, the two skeletons have been proudly displayed in Mantua’s Archaeological Museum. You may also know Mantua from Shakespeare’s tale of two star-crossed lovers. It’s where Romeo is sent after he kills Tybalt Capulet.
If you ever find yourself in Mantua, Italy, feeling a little romantic, you should stop by and say hello to the Lovers of Valdaro.
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