Gli scavi nella cattedrale di Santa Maria: le sepolture medievali e la “tomba del cavaliere”

The excavations carried out by the Centro Studi Lunensi on behalf of Soprintendenza Archeologica of Liguria in the early Christian and Medieval Cathedral of Luni have evidenced that the first cult building is the result of the modification of a vast domus with different phases until late iV century (the house of ‘ocean’). The archaeological operations discovered about sixty graves, placed inside and outside the church as well. Since no finds were available, it was possible to determinate their chronology only according to stratigraphic data. Waiting for the results of the anthropological and archeometrical analysis of the bone remains, the study of the burials made possible to observe their distribution in relationship to the chronological evolution of the complex. The oldest graves (second half VII - ante IX century?) are housed inside the church, other more recent graves (post XI century) are located in the area in front of the facade, whereas later graves (post XII century) are placed in the southern outside area, which was further analysed in october - november 2017. This article aims to illustrate both the new data produced by these excavations in comparison with what previous investigations had already revealed, as well as the reasons of the chronological uncertainties about the periodization; finally, to present the discovery, in an annexed outside apse, of a body buried with golden spurs and spears, probably a high-rank member of the feudal aristocracy who ruled between the XI and XII century.