Area archeologica I Pini

The I Pini archaeological area at Sirolo preserves part of a Picene necropolis. Its best-known burial is the sixth-century-BC Tomba della Regina, named for the exceptional wealth of a woman whose personal identity is unknown.

Why it matters

The burial ground reveals social distinction and funerary practice on the ancient Conero coast. The rich female grave shows how vehicles, ornaments and household objects could express status within a burial ritual.

What to notice

The principal tomb was arranged in three pits. Its contents included two dismantled wheeled vehicles, a biga and a calesse, together with personal and domestic objects. Remains of two mules were interpreted as evidence of sacrifice. The layout of the burial places these different groups within one funerary composition.

Context and history

I Pini belonged to the Picene world around ancient Numana. The Tomba della Regina dates to the sixth century BC, when this coastal territory supported communities with substantial differences in wealth and rank. The title Queen is a modern description of the burial's importance, not an identification of a known ruler. Finds associated with the necropolis form part of the archaeological heritage conserved at Numana's Antiquarium.