Archaeological treasures beyond expectations unearthed in Ljubljana
Ljubljana, 17 December - Archaeologists had their work cut out for them in Ljubljana, as renovation works along the Gosposvetska and Slovenska streets led to unexpected finds of mostly intact Roman-era graves from the late 4th and early 5th centuries.
Ljubljana
Archaeologists unearth a 4th century tombstone during works on Gosposvetska Street in Ljubljana
Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA
File photo
Knowing that there was an ancient cemetery south of what is now Slovenska Street, archaeologists expected to find graves and a few sarcophagi, but the finds exceeded their expectations.
More than 350 human remains were found, as well as over 40 sarcophagi, a church and a tomb, dating to a time when the then Roman outpost of Emona already had a flourishing Christian community.
Archaeologists also uncovered a church, adorned with frescos and a mosaic. Archaeologist Andrej Gaspari said that the high density of graves and the church "indicate that this was truly a special part [of the cemetery], tied closely to the ancient-Christian development of the city".