 Feb 25 2025 - Jun 1 2025

 Ljubljana

The finest and most interesting finds discovered in ancient Roman graves during archaeological excavations at the building site of Emonika, the commercial complex of the future Ljubljana Passenger Centre, are on display at the Ljubljana City Museum.

A total of 228 graves were discovered at the site during excavations in the spring and summer 2024, with the finds dating from 1st to 4th centuries, according to curator Bernarda Županek.

One of the showcases features women's jewellery from four graves. The richest jewellery is from a 4th-century inhumation grave, including a necklace of dark blue glass berries, a silver necklace clasp, four bronze bracelets, two of them with snake-head finials, and a silver ring with a green glass inset.

Also on display are glass and ceramic finds such as two glass goblets with incised decoration, which Županek says are very rare in Slovenia and thus precious. There is also a glass urn and several different ointment jars as well as several oil lamps.

Some 80 oil lamps in various states of preservation were discovered at the site. Among those on show is one with the image of a gladiator and one with two theatrical masks.

The excavations uncovered the northern cemetery of Emona, the ancient Roman city on the site of present-day Ljubljana. Matej Draksler, the head of the archaeological excavations at the site, said they were surprised by its size.

What also surprised them was the discovery of a small local graveyard in the eastern section of the site. It was found to contain 45 Roman graves, both cremation graves from the 1st and 2nd centuries, and inhumation graves mainly from the 3rd and 4th centuries.

They also discovered traces of the parcelling out of agricultural land by the Romans when they occupied the area and distributed the land to the colonists.

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