Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino/FacebookIts unknown why children would be buried with a kind of bronze warrior belt usually reserved for adult men.Ongoing archaeological work in Pontecagnano Faiano, located in Italys Salerno province, has turned up countless archaeological treasures over the past six decades. But archaeologists most recent discovery at the site is especially astounding: a collection of 34 Samnite burials that reveal illuminating information about the funerary practices of this bygone ancient people.The graves contained men, women, and children, as well as a wealth of grave goods. But the most curious attribute of this burial site is the graves of the children, some of which were laid to rest with large bronze belts. In the past, such an item has only been documented in the burials of adult warriors, leaving this new find somewhat shrouded in mystery.The Samnite Children Buried With Bronze Belts At The Necropolis In SalernoAccording to a statement from the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Salerno and Avellino, the 34 Samnite graves were discovered during a much larger archaeological project in the region that dates back to the 1960s. The area was occupied continuously from the 9th century B.C.E. until the Roman period, and has thus turned up countless archaeological treasures over the past several decades.Most recently, archaeologists uncovered a set of 34 burials from the Samnite people, a culture that emerged in roughly the sixth century B.C.E. and lasted until they were conquered by the Romans in the first century B.C.E. The graves in Pontecagnano Faiano appear to date from the third or fourth century B.C.E., and include a mix of men, women, and children.But of all the Samnite burials at the site, the most intriguing are those of the children, some of whom were buried with large, bronze belts.Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino/FacebookOne of the Samnite children that was buried with a large bronze belt, an unusual grave good for a child.Of the 34 burials at the site, 15 are children between the ages of two and 10 years old. In two of these graves, the childrens bodies are adorned with a large bronze belt that is clearly too large for their small frame.Such a grave good is usually found buried with warriors, which raises questions about why the Samnite people of Pontecagnano Faiano buried children with such belts. They may be indicative of the childs family status, or perhaps suggest the childrens hereditary social rank. The belts could also signify something else entirely, and could perhaps be a token meant to protect the children after death.Though the significance of the belts in the childrens graves is not known, the overall burial ground itself is rich with information about Samnite funerary practices, thanks to both the other grave goods that were unearthed as well as the design of the gravesites.Other Striking Finds At The Samnite Burial Ground In Pontecagnano FaianoWhile the bronze belts in the childrens graves were by far the most intriguing find at the Samnite burial ground, archaeologists made a number of other discoveries as well.Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Salerno e Avellino/FacebookThe newly documented graves, seen from above, are part of a much larger archaeological project that started in the 1960s.In the burials of the Samnite men, archaeologists uncovered grave goods like spearheads and javelin points. Meanwhile, in the graves of women, items like rings or fibulae were far more common. Archaeologists also uncovered pottery spread across the graves, including paterae (shallow drinking vessels), skyphos (short cups with two handles), and other small cups.Archaeologists furthermore documented the arrangement of the graves, which appear to be laid out in familial clusters. Most of the graves consist of a pit in the ground, covered by a sloped roof made of tiles. One grave, however, was constructed with travertine, while another was made from tufa.In all, the site itself tells an intriguing story about the Samnite people, a group of Italic peoples who spoke the lost language of Oscan and lived in central-southern Italy between the third and fifth centuries B.C.E. They clashed with Rome during the Samnite Wars (343-290 B.C.) and were ultimately absorbed by the nascent Roman Empire in the last century B.C.E.After reading about the 34 Samnite burials discovered in Salerno, Italy, discover the stories of some of the most fearsome gladiators to ever fight in ancient Rome. Then, go inside the harrowing story of the 79 C.E. eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and how it destroyed the nearby town of Pompeii.The post Archaeologists In Italy Just Found An Ancient Necropolis Containing Children Mysteriously Buried With Massive Bronze Belts appeared first on All That's Interesting.