Ljubljana is not only a city of the future but also a city deeply rooted in the past – quite literally. During excavations conducted in the spring and summer of 2024, archaeologists uncovered remarkable remains of ancient Emona beneath the Emonika construction site. They revealed previously unexplored sections of Emona’s northern cemetery, which once stretched along the main Roman road running beneath what is now Dunajska cesta, connecting Celeia (today's Celje) with the area from Kongresni trg to the Gospodarsko razstavišče exhibition centre. Within the cemetery, archaeologists discovered 183 graves, including 160 cremation and 23 inhumation graves, containing valuable objects placed alongside the deceased as part of burial rites.
In the eastern part of the excavation site, they also uncovered a smaller burial site with an additional 34 cremation graves and 11 skeletal graves, holding the remains of 15 individuals.
At the City Museum of Ljubljana, a selection of valuable artefacts uncovered during the excavations is on display for visitors to explore – from ancient pottery and jewellery to small decorative studs and other everyday objects that offer a glimpse into Roman daily life. Meanwhile, the photographic exhibition at Krakovo Embankment captures the excavation process through the lens, documenting how archaeologists uncovered and examined remains of the past.
Two exhibitions, two perspectives – one through artefacts, the other through photography – together creating a comprehensive narrative of the history beneath our feet.
We invite you to discover traces of the past in the heart of the modern city.
