Build a house and dig a 2,700-year-old 'ghost prince' on a horse-drawn carriage

The construction of a sports complex in Italy was halted because of the tomb of a pre-Roman prince with iron armor, a chariot, and a treasure suddenly exposed.

"Aerial photography led to the first identification of the site," says archaeologist Professor Federica Boschi from the University of Bologna (Italy), who led the research.

The photoshoot was taken to check the whole area of ​​Corinaldo (Italy) when starting the sports complex. But then they discovered looming circular traces, which resembled circles in pre-Roman funeral customs. After that, the geomagnetic surveying process definitely identified underneath it was a huge metal warehouse .

The main area of ​​the ancient tomb where a series of jewels were discovered, the body of the "ghost prince" alone is gone!- (photo: Pierluigi Giorgi).

The excavation took place shortly thereafter. And archaeologists were surprised to open an ancient tomb full of jewels. In the tomb there is a carriage, armor, weapons and expensive burial items. Initial test results suggest that the owner of the ancient tomb was a powerful prince who lived in the 7th century BC, or about 2,700 years ago.

However, it was a "ghost prince" because his body, which should have been in armor of iron, would have evaporated! But everything in the tomb provided enough evidence that he had been present and was buried solemnly.

It is very mysterious, because it is clearly difficult to be caused by grave robbers, because what is lost is the corpse, and the valuable burial remains intact. Scientists think that time may have damaged his remains, but that will require further verification.

The excavation process is still ongoing - (photo: Federica Boschi).

The mysterious prince was a Piceni , an early Iron Age resident of Italy, mainly distributed in the Novilara region in the north and Belmonte in the south. Remnant archaeological records show that they were mighty warriors, extremely rich and had traded with the Greeks since the 7th century BC.

Among the burial items, the carriage door frame, the pottery and the clothes in the tomb were most carefully cared for by the scientists. The authors argue that they could foster a whole new understanding of the ancient aristocracy's trade relations and the exchange of gifts.

Especially among the pottery is a precious item imported from ancient Daunia, extremely expensive gifts that symbolize the political, military and economic power of the deceased.

Currently excavation is ongoing and local authorities have not decided to move the tomb or change the design of the sports center to preserve the status quo.

• Discover the tomb of the ancient Etruscan prince
• Chariot, artifact in the prince's 2,500-year-old tomb in France
• Ancient tombs 3,000 years may contain the treasure of Prince Scythia