Archaeologists find 2,300 year old tomb in Italy with possible priestess inscriptions

Archaeologists discovered a tomb dating back 2,300 years at the Mura Messapiche archaeological park in Manduria, a town in the Apulia region of southern Italy.

The researchers found the burial site, identified as Tomb No. 17, carved directly into the bedrock and originally sealed by three large stone slabs. The team identified two rare inscriptions in the Messapic language, a poorly studied tongue spoken by the Messapians, an indigenous people of southeastern Italy.

One inscription on the entrance slabs includes the word "thabara," which researchers interpret as a title for a priestess. A second inscription painted on the interior of a slab contains the name "Damatrioas." Experts suggest this name might refer to Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture and harvest. The presence of religious symbols inside the tomb supports the theory that the woman held a high religious status.

Researchers found a meander ornament, an object identified as a temple key, and a thymiaterion, a vessel used for burning incense. While these findings suggest a connection to the cult of Demeter, scholars note that the interpretation remains preliminary and requires further study of Messapic texts. The tomb was looted in antiquity, leaving only a few items such as bronze fibulae, a silver snake ring, and a silver coin minted in Taranto.