By Xinhua
Ankara : Turkish archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a young couple locked in an embrace during excavations in the southeastern part of the country.
The tomb of the couple was found at Hakemi Use in the Bismil district of Diyarbakir province and archaeologists stated that the couple, who presumably died some 8,000 years ago, are likely to set a record as the oldest embracing couple in archaeological history, Today’s Zaman reported.
“The tomb is at least 1,000 years older than the one found last year in Verona, Italy. The way they were buried signifies they were lovers,” Halil Tekin, head of the archaeologist team from Hacettepe University, was quoted as saying.
“An illness or even a crime of love may have been the cause of their death, we will learn much more about them after anthropologists complete their examinations on the skeletons,” added Tekin.
Excavation work at the Hakemi Use site has been underway since 2001 under a group of archaeologists from Turkey’s Hacettepe University whose objective is to rescue artefacts at the site before the area is flooded by the Ilisu Dam.