The Lovers of Valdaro are the remains of two human skeletons found in a loving embrace in a Neolithic tomb in the village of Valdaro, near Mantua, Italy. 

They died six millennia ago, in the Neolithic era and their remains have been hidden from the eyes of the world, making them one of the oldest examples of a double burial where the individuals appear to have been intentionally placed in an embrace. 

They only became known 16 years ago, when their tomb was discovered near Mantua, in the northern region of Lombardy. A team of archaeologists led by Elena Maria Menotti, went digging into the village of Valdaro and found this double burial. 

The skeletal remains seem to be a young man and woman considered to be about 20 years of age, buried facing each other, with their arms and legs entwined in a seemingly loving embrace.

This intimate burial seems to suggest a deep emotional connection between the two lovers and the position in which they were buried is quite similar to the tragic Shakespearean story of Romeo and Juliet, hence the name: "Neolithic Romeo and Juliet."

But how did the young couple die?

The young couple's death has remained a mystery. Historians have not been able to determine how the two died, but according to popular view, the couple symbolises Romeo and Juliet of a prehistoric age, who took their own lives.

While we may never know the exact details of their lives, their relationship and the circumstances of their deaths, the discovery of the Lovers of Valdaro is a tale worth telling. A tale of the power of love throughout human history.