Greek archaeologists find couple locked in millennia-old hug

ATHENS, Greece – Death did not part them.

Archaeologists in southern Greece have discovered the grave of a man and woman buried as they died some 5,800 years ago – still tightly embracing.

A senior member of the excavation team, Anastassia Papathanassiou, said the discovery – made in 2013 and publicized this week after DNA testing determined each skeleton’s sex – is the oldest of its kind in Greece. She said the couple most likely died holding each other.

Papathanassiou told the Associated Press on Friday that the remains of the couple, estimated to be in their 20s, were found near the Alepotrypa Cave, an important prehistoric site.

It’s unclear how they died and whether they were related, but Papathanassiou said further DNA testing should answer the latter question.