Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Sipontum in southern Italy have uncovered an unusual medieval burial containing the remains of a woman holding a young child in her arms.

The grave was discovered in the former port district of Sipontum, near present-day Manfredonia in the province of Foggia. Excavations by researchers from the Universities of Bari and Foggia revealed a medieval cemetery containing several dozen burials, probably dating to the 12th–13th centuries.

Among them was the burial of a woman estimated to have been between 30 and 40 years old. Her right arm was positioned around a child thought to have been approximately four or five years old at the time of death. Although the arrangement suggests a close relationship between the two, their biological relationship has not yet been established.

“There must have been a close relationship if the girl or boy was in her arms,” archaeologist Giuliano Volpe of the University of Bari Aldo Moro said. DNA analysis is expected to determine whether the two were related.

The cemetery emerged during renewed investigations in an area that had already produced evidence of medieval buildings constructed over earlier Roman and Late Antique remains. The latest excavations uncovered a medieval wall more than 30 metres long, together with a semicircular structure whose function has yet to be determined. The cemetery may have been associated with a church or another religious building.

The graves were generally simple and contained little or no funerary equipment. Most of the deceased had been laid out in aligned burials, although their orientation varied. Archaeologists now hope that anthropological study, DNA testing and radiocarbon dating will provide further information about the individuals, including their age, health, diet and possible family relationships.

The discovery may also contribute to a better understanding of the final centuries of Sipontum. The ancient settlement, which had flourished for centuries on the Adriatic coast, continued to be occupied during the Middle Ages before its population was eventually transferred to the newly founded city of Manfredonia in the 13th century.

Further excavation will investigate the extent of the cemetery and its possible connection with a nearby religious structure.