The Mel Necropolis stands out as one of the oldest in Valbelluna.
Continuously utilized by the Ancient Veneti from the 8th century BC, it signifies an organized and enduring presence in the region until at least the 5th century BC. Excavations of the necropolis began in 1958 and continued intermittently until 1964.
The work was carried out by the excavation assistant Giovanni Battista Frescura, who, with passion and expertise, unearthed the archaeological area of the Mel necropolis and retrieved the sets now exhibited in this museum. The enclosures, partly still visible, consist of slabs of marly sandstone inserted into the ground to about one-third of their height, with the entrance always oriented towards the south, comprised of vertical slab jambs and a threshold. During the excavation, it was observed that the soil inside the enclosures was more gravelly and stony, rising towards the central area to form a mound.
This structure generally served to protect the tombs within: constructed as a box of either quadrangular or more commonly polygonal shape, with the bottom and walls made of sandstone slabs. Inside the box, the bones of the deceased, previously cremated on a pyre, were placed directly on the floor or more often inside a ceramic or bronze ossuary vessel, along with decorative objects, tools, and one or more earthenware accessories.
