An Ancient Love Story Unearthed

Who were this mystery couple that became known as “The Valdaro Lovers”? We will never know. This young man and woman laid sideways, face to face, legs intertwined, holding each other in a tender embrace, oblivious to the world above them. Perhaps they were sharing their last moments together. The male skeleton is on the left and the female on the right.

The Valdaro Lovers: Background

Mantua, in northern Italy, took the world stage on the eve of Valentine’s Day in 2007. On February 13th, archaeologists began unearthing a Neolithic tomb and found the skeletal remains of a couple in a deep embrace. The discovery came after a construction team prepared the groundwork for a factory near the city.

The discovery suggested an incidence of a short-lived but most seemingly genuine love. What excited the archaeologists was that the skeletal remains date back 5,000-6,000 years, the Neolithic period. It was a time of transition – crop cultivation, the domestication of animals, and the proficient use of tools. This ancient couple will never know that in the centuries to follow, they were 25 miles from Verona, the birthplace of Shakespeare’s classic tale of doomed love, Romeo and Juliet. Such, perhaps, was their story as well.

According to archaeologist Elena Menotti who led the dig, what we do know is that they were young, about 20 years old – since their teeth were intact. She found the discovery unique and very special. Double burials were a rarity during the Neolithic period. Other prehistoric burial finds had couples holding hands or having some other contact, but nothing as touching as the Mantua find. Some artifacts found at the site, such as arrowheads and flint, were studied along with the skeletal remains.

Archaeologists’ speculations

The archaeologists also analyzed the surrounding earth to determine if flowers or plants adorned the bodies. It appears that they were actually buried at the same time, a tragic end, for some unknown reason. 

Religions arose during the Neolithic period. Like many today, people at the time believed that death released a living spirit which transitioned to an unknown realm. So, why could they not love each other, as primitive as they were? They too must have mourned their dead and wished to be with them in an afterlife. It is possible that this couple were part of a ritual, the purpose of which is not entirely clear. Did they die together? Or did one die before the other, leaving the survivor to lay down with their partner and await death out of profound love? Perhaps.

It is known that during this period some women were sacrificed when their partner died, although research did not indicate this to be the case with this couple. Unlike most archeological finds, this couple were carefully removed from their final resting place, as they were discovered joined together forever; as they had intended. They now rest at Mantua’s Archaeological Museum. 

And so, an ancient love story will live on forever within the walls of a museum.