Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old gladiator tomb near Naples, shedding new light on ancient Roman society.
Buried beneath a quiet Italian town, a 2,000-year-old necropolis has revealed the rare tomb of a Roman gladiator.
2,000-Year-Old Gladiator Tomb Uncovered in Ancient Roman Necropolis – copyright Shutterstock
Italian archaeologists have recently uncovered an ancient Roman tomb containing an epitaph of a gladiator during an excavation at a necropolis near the town of Giugliano in Campania, just outside Naples. The discovery, announced on March 2025, by the Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape Superintendence (ABAP), highlights an excavation site rich in historical and cultural significance.
This 1,700-year-old tomb is part of a larger burial site once known as Liternum, a Roman colony that flourished from the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD. The find includes well-preserved burial structures, grave goods, and several marble funerary inscriptions, some of which remain intact.
A Gladiator’s Final Resting Place
Among the most remarkable discoveries is a marble epitaph bearing the name of a gladiator, providing valuable insight into the social standing and posthumous recognition of these ancient fighters. Gladiators, often slaves or outcasts during their lives, found honor and recognition in death, as evidenced by this epitaph—shedding light on their role in Roman society and how they were remembered long after their time in the arena.
The tomb was found within a necropolis measuring over 1,600 square feet, just a stone’s throw from the ancient amphitheater and forum of Liternum. The two burial enclosures that were revealed feature intricate construction and show evidence of varying burial practices, from traditional Roman tombs to more cosmopolitan methods borrowed from the Greek and Eastern parts of the empire.
Archaeological Treasures Uncovered
The tombs also yielded a collection of grave goods, including coins, lamps, and small vases, which help to pinpoint the period of the site’s occupation and offer a glimpse into daily life, rituals, and the cultural practices of the time. These discoveries underscore the importance of Liternum in the Roman world, not just as a settlement but as a place where social and cultural dynamics were played out.
Historians have also uncovered two funerary enclosures, featuring plastered niches designed to hold cinerary urns, and a brick well that might have had religious or ritual significance. The archaeologists’ work in the necropolis helps refine historical understanding of Roman burial practices, shedding light on both elite and common citizens of the time.
The recovered “grave goods” included lamps, small vases and coins. (ABAP Superintendency for the Metropolitan Area of Naples)
Preserving the Past, Understanding the Future
The ABAP Superintendency has emphasized that this find will offer new insights into the urban development of Liternum and the cultural landscape of ancient Italy. The site is providing a detailed look at the physiognomy of the ancient landscape and may lead to new hypotheses about the ancient Via Domitiana, a Roman road that likely ran near the site.
Archaeologists are particularly excited about the opportunity to reconstruct historical narratives based on this preserved necropolis, which will enrich our understanding of life, death, and the diverse social fabric of Roman colonies in the provinces.