A man and a woman, locked in embrace...
...for 6000 years.
Quote:
The Valdaro Lovers is the name given to two skeletons who have been locked in an eternal embrace for the past 6,000 years. The embracing skeletons were discovered in 2007, at a Neolithic tomb near the village of Valdaro in Mantua, Italy.
Scientists think that the couple were no older than 20 years when they died and were approximately 5’2″ (157 cm) in height. After an osteological examination, there was no evidence of violent death; many historians believe they died that way due to the flints tools that were found with them. The male skeleton was found with a flint arrowhead near his neck, and the female had a long stone blade along her thigh, plus two flint knives under her pelvis.
It is fascinating that the bodies were positioned that way after their death. They were found in a necropolis, so they did not die that way by accident, rather, it is thought that they were positioned that way.
What’s more impressive is that, during the Neolithic period, double burials were very uncommon which makes their position unique. The Valdaro Lovers are the only case of a double burial in Northern Italy.
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The couple are now on display in the National Archaeological Museum of Mantua.
