New evidence of the Picene culture has come to light in Sant’Elpidio a Mare, in the province of Fermo. During a site inspection conducted on September 8, 2026, near the town cemetery, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, and Macerata identified several archaeological finds that are preliminarily attributed to a 6th-century B.C. tomb.
The investigation was launched following a report of the exposure of what had initially been described as presumed archaeological finds. On the morning of Tuesday, September 8, the technical and scientific staff of the Superintendency, led by architect Giovanni Issini, arrived at the site to verify the nature of the materials. Also participating in the operation were technicians and staff from the Technical Office of the Municipality of Sant’Elpidio a Mare—engineer Raffaele Trobbiani and staff members Paolo Capodaglio and Giovanni Marinangeli—along with the commander of the local Carabinieri station, Chief Marshal Michele Guglielmi.
The investigations quickly clarified the nature of the find. The materials are not, in fact, isolated items, but rather part of a more complex funerary ensemble, consisting of ceramic vases and vessels placed inside a burial. Based on initial assessments, the tomb is attributable to the Picene culture and can be tentatively dated to the 6th century B.C.
Given the archaeological value of the finds and the need to ensure their preservation, the Superintendency took immediate action to document the discovery, recover the objects, and secure them.
The emergency operation was conducted directly by the ministry through the archaeologist with territorial jurisdiction, Dr. Francesco Belfiori. The artifacts will now undergo restoration and in-depth study, which will provide further information about the burial and the historical and archaeological context to which it belongs. The findings of the investigation will subsequently be made available to the community of Sant’Elpidio a Mare and all interested parties as soon as the results of the in-depth analysis can be presented.
The discovery is located in an area that has long been the focus of attention by the Superintendency and other agencies responsible for protecting the region’s cultural heritage. Over the years, in fact, this area has been the site of several chance archaeological finds, a circumstance that has helped keep the attention of the agencies responsible for research and heritage conservation focused on the site. The new find now offers an opportunity to further deepen our understanding of the Picene presence in the Sant’Elpidio a Mare area through the study of the grave goods and the characteristics of the burial.
The next phase will involve not only the scientific study of the artifacts but also their potential presentation to the public. The Superintendency and the Municipality will work together in the coming weeks to identify the most appropriate ways to make the discovery accessible to the public. The municipal administration has already expressed its willingness to provide adequate resources and space to house the artifacts and allow the public to view them in the future. The timeline and operational procedures will be defined based on the technical guidelines provided by the Superintendency once the restoration and study activities are complete.
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| Sant’Elpidio a Mare: A 6th-century B.C. Picene Tomb Discovered |
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