Recent modernization work on the railway line in Pompeii and the construction of an underground parking lot have unearthed a pre-Roman necropolis, spanning from the 3rd to the 1st century BC, with 35 graves found so far. These atypical burials are in the form of simple pit inhumations, some covered with North African amphoras arranged in a striking pattern of seven. To add to this, excavations have also revealed extensive, perfectly preserved plowed fields under the thick layer of ash from the great Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD. A Clearer Picture: Analysis of Grave Goods The pre-Roman era occupation graves feature a few grave goods like perfume bottles and coins, along with skeletal remains, which are in excellent condition thanks to being submerged in groundwater, kickstarting a paleo-anthropological research campaign on the skeletal remains. The discovery site is about 400 meters east of the Porta Sarno in the Pompeii Archaeological Park, and it's brought to light occupation levels that predate Roman colonization, reports a press release by Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per L’area Metropolitana di Napoli. Read moreSection: ArtifactsOther ArtifactsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later