Recent archaeological excavations at a proposed passenger center in Ljubljana, Slovenia, have uncovered 183 graves from the Emona period, an ancient Roman city. The findings were revealed during a press conference on November 7, 2024, by Mendota Invest, the real estate company overseeing the Emonika shopping complex project.
The site is located in the northern cemetery of Emona, which follows the main Roman road beneath Dunajska Street, extending toward ancient Celia, modern-day Celje. Among the discovered graves, 160 were cremation burials from the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, while 23 were inhumation burials from the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, reflecting the gradual adoption of Christian burial practices.
Numerous artifacts were found within the graves, including ceramics, glassware, oil lamps, jewelry, grooming items, a silver stylus, and 122 tiny nails for shoe soles. Archaeologists also uncovered a Roman side road leading to the main Roman thoroughfare, well-fortified with gravel constructions and featuring two ditches along the roadside.
A small burial space, approximately eight by twelve meters, was identified on the north side of the road, likely serving as a cemetery structure. Nearby, graves from the 1st and 2nd centuries contained various artifacts, including a silver earring and a likely depiction of a bee.
To the east, eleven graves from the 3rd and 4th centuries included three skeletons within stone sarcophagi, adorned with jewelry; one woman wore four bronze bracelets, while another was buried with two gold earrings. A third individual was found with a well-preserved ring.
Matej Draksler, the excavation leader from the STIK team, expressed surprise at several findings, particularly the small burial area adjacent to the recently discovered cemetery structure, which had seen continuous burials for 400 years.
While previous excavations have occurred at the northern cemetery, this latest effort covered a more extensive area, allowing archaeologists to better understand the relationship between Emona and its surrounding province. In addition to artifacts linked to Emona, items from the era of Ljubljana's railway construction in 1849 and structures from the Italian occupation during World War II were also documented.
The Emonika center, currently the largest private construction project in Slovenia, will encompass 180,000 square meters, featuring two hotels with over 380 rooms, three residential buildings, 187 apartments, a modern shopping center, and 35,000 square meters of office space. Mendota, part of the OTP banking group, estimates the investment value to exceed 350 million euros.