Three archaeological discoveries in Italy: a Kore at Vulci, an Etruscan tomb at Pontecagnano, new remains at Montesano

Three Italian archaeological sites, geographically distant from one another and run by independent bodies, have yielded significant finds in recent days. At Vulci, in Lazio, excavations by the “Vulci Cityscape” project have brought to light a marble head depicting a young woman, identified as a Greek Kore. The discovery has been selected among the five finalists of the International Archaeological Discovery Award “Palmyra” 2026, whose winner will be announced on 30 October in Paestum, as part of the twenty-eighth edition of the Mediterranean Exchange of Archaeological Tourism.

At Pontecagnano, in the Salerno area, an archaeological mission has brought to light an Etruscan-era cube tomb, described by the archaeologists themselves as “extremely rare”. The find dates back to the second half of the sixth century BC and is linked to what sources describe as one of the most important Etruscan centres in Campania.

At Montesano sulla Marcellana, also in the province of Salerno, new skeletal remains have resurfaced from excavations in the historic centre, in the same area as a previous discovery of earthen pit graves. The excavation is being carried out by the company Archeoservizi, working alongside the Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Salerno and Avellino; the remains have been entrusted to an anthropologist for study. According to the Superintendency, the burials may date back to the medieval period and could be linked to the ancient church of Santa Sofia.

The three finds are not historically connected to one another: they belong to different eras — the Greek, the Etruscan and the medieval — and to excavation sites coordinated by distinct bodies and missions. The thread linking them is chronological, not archaeological: all three were announced within the same span of days, in an autumn particularly active for archaeology in Lazio and Campania.

Only the Vulci discovery is currently a candidate for international recognition. The Palmyra 2026 award will announce its verdict on 30 October in Paestum, alongside the other finalist discoveries, including the Roman hypogeum-mausoleum in Albania already reported this morning by Redazione Zero. For Pontecagnano and Montesano, however, the sources consulted indicate no current path toward award nominations or recognitions, as these are excavations still in progress whose results remain under study by the respective superintendencies.