Archaeologists digging in central Tuscany have brought to light a dark side of the Etruscan civilization, unearthing a 2,500-year-old skeleton still bound by shackles on his neck and ankles.

The finding appears to be the first case of an Etruscan burial containing a shackled individual.

The unusual grave was found in Populonia, a unique Etruscan settlement built directly on the sea. There, in a simple pit dug into the sandy soil near the beach of Baratti, the archaeologists found the complete skeleton of a male between 20 and 30 years of age.

Almost five pounds of iron bound his legs, while a heavy iron collar was wrapped around his neck.

"He died in shackles and was buried with a shroud tied to the body. We found a black spot under the nape, most likely what remained of a wood object which was likely connected to the iron collar," Giorgio Baratti, professor of archaeology at the University of Milan, told Seeker.

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It's likely the unfortunate man endured a device that was connected from the head to the feet with perishable materials such as ropes or leather.

An iron ring found in one of his left fingers might have been part of the device, which was meant to impede his ability to take long steps.

Baratti, whose last name is oddly the same of the beach where the skeleton was unearthed, believes the man was likely a slave or someone who had to bear a definitive punishment.

A slave might have been employed in maritime activities as well as in the iron mines in the area. Between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C., Populonia was the main center in the Mediterranean for iron processing, with the metal coming mainly from the Elba island.

"Notably, he was interred in a necropolis which features normal burials. This is something you would not expect," Baratti said.