Pasta factory expansion leads to stunning discovery of 2,600-year-old city of the dead

A pasta factory expansion in Italy took an unexpected turn when archaeologists uncovered a 2,600-year-old city of the dead, filled with ancient tombs and rare treasures.

The necropolis was found at the Pasta Garofalo factory in Gragnano, a town near Naples, according to a news release issued by the company.

The excavation was conducted between 2025 and 2026 ahead of an expansion of Pasta Garofalo's production facility, with the findings recently announced by the company in July.

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The site, which dates to the first half of the sixth century B.C., was built during the Archaic period of Mediterranean history, centuries before the rise of the Roman Empire.

Pictures from the excavation show rows of stone burial chambers at the site, along with human remains, pottery and other artifacts.

Several burial chambers contained rarely preserved materials, including textiles, wooden objects and woven baskets, which officials said "deepen[s] understanding of funerary practices, social organization and everyday life during the Archaic period."

Officials also reported that the grave goods found at the site were "remarkable" and included Egyptian scarabs, animal-shaped amber ornaments and "silver and bronze artifacts of Etruscan origin."

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"These exceptional finds testify to the central role played by the ancient territory of Gragnano within Mediterranean trade networks, serving as a crossroads connecting the Greek, Egyptian and Etruscan worlds," the statement read.

The discovery held special significance for Pasta Garofalo, the company said, given its centuries-old ties to Gragnano and its pasta-making tradition.

Pasta Garofalo "has celebrated the deep bond between pasta and the town of Gragnano ... [and] this relationship has been further enriched by an extraordinary new chapter," according to the release.

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Massimo Menna, chief executive officer of Pasta Garofalo, said the discovery "fills us with great pride and a profound sense of responsibility."

"Our history is inseparably linked to Gragnano, a place that has safeguarded a unique heritage of culture, tradition and manufacturing expertise for centuries," Menna said.

"We believe that doing business also means caring for the places where we operate, contributing to their knowledge and enhancement."

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Researchers will continue studying the human remains to learn more about the ancient community's diet, movements and living conditions.

"Ongoing research will prioritize the analysis of the osteological remains to examine diets, mobility patterns and living conditions of the communities that occupied the region during the Archaic period," the statement noted.

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The discovery follows other significant necropolis-related finds across Italy in recent years.

Earlier this year, officials found the remains of an ancient sanctuary in northern Italy after construction crews unexpectedly uncovered the site while working on a new highway.

In 2025, archaeologists discovered a nearly 3,000-year-old "city of the dead" in Trento, Italy, dating back to the Iron Age.