Two ancient skeletons nicknamed “the Lovers of Modena” as they were buried holding hands were both men, researchers have discovered.

The pair, believed to have died between the fourth and sixth centuries, had until now been thought to be a man and a woman.

But when the bones were found near Modena in northern Italy in 2009, scientists could not be sure of their sexes because they were badly preserved.

Now a new technique, using tooth enamel proteins, has revealed they were both male. However, the relationship between the men remains a mystery.

The way in which the pair were buried represents “a voluntary expression of commitment between two individuals” and was not a common burial practice, according to the research, which was published in the Scientific Reports journal.

Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Show all 12 1 /12 Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Tombs in Mada'in Saleh were decorated by Alexandrian masons in the first century with Greek, Roman and Persian symbols Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures The ancient Biblical city of Dedan is situated on the lip of an oasis Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Cliffs formed out of red and black sandstone have eroded into crazy, hallucinatory shapes such as elephants, mushrooms, and seals Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Ancient Dedan inscriptions. Holes in the rock floor denote a sacrificial spot from the time of the Dedanites Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures A street in the old town of Al-Ula Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Mada'in Saleh, the archaeological site with the Nabatean tomb from the first century Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Ahmed comes from a long line of imams descended from a grand tribal judge who arrived c1400 in Al Ula’s 'old town' Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures The cliffs in the distance: out of the flat desert, one after another, the ornate facades rise into sight, 111 of them, carved into perpendicular cliffs up to four storeys high Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures The temples of Mada'in Saleh near Al-Ula have survived for 2,000 years Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures 'Charles' is scratched on the oat-coloured mud wall not by Charles Doughty but by Prince Charles (in 2015, with his key) Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Al Gharamil Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Mada'in Saleh tombs

Researchers at the University of Bologna say their burial site may have been a war cemetery, and that the men could have been brothers, cousins or soldiers who died together in battle.

Study author Federico Lugli told Italy’s Rai television network: “Many tombs have been found in the past with couples holding hands, but in those cases it was a man and a woman.

(EPA)

"What may have been the bond between these two individuals is a mystery.

“The burial of two men hand-in-hand was certainly not a common practice in the late-ancient era.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“We believe that this choice symbolises a particular relationship between the two individuals, but we do not know the nature of it.”