Pre-Roman Necropolis with 85 Tombs Unearthed at Garofalo Pasta Factory in Gragnano

During expansion work at the Pastificio Garofalo in Gragnano, a 2,000-square-meter pre-Roman necropolis was discovered, containing 85 tombs dating back 2,500 years. The site, named Necropoli di Via dei Pastai, has yielded 16 adult, 4 child, and 15 infant burials. The excavation, conducted under the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l'Area Metropolitana di Napoli, also revealed older structures from the Copper and Bronze Ages. Grave goods include decorated pottery, ivory jewelry with human figures, an iron sword, bronze fibulae, and Egyptian scarabs from Naukratis, indicating trade networks with Greece, Egypt, and the eastern Mediterranean. A terracotta balsamary in the shape of a siren (580–550 BCE) is currently displayed at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli for the exhibition Parthenope. The necropolis is part of the larger Ager Stabianus area, and finds may be housed at the Museo della Pasta di Gragnano, planned for the ex-Monastero di San Michele Arcangelo in collaboration with the MANN.