In the rocky landscape of Sardinia, Italy, sat a trio of ancient “fairy houses.” Archaeologists had spent almost 200 years excavating and studying the area, but these small, underground structures went overlooked — until now.

A team of archaeologists began work at the Necropolis of Saint Andrea Priu , a site on Sardinia island with a mixture of ruins from prehistoric times until the Early Middle Ages, as part of an ongoing project to excavate, restore and generally improve the complex, the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture for Sardinia said in a July 29 news release.

While working on a rocky plateau, archaeologists noticed something in between two exposed tombs. Something about the landscape suggested it might hide an unexplored structure, officials said.

Archaeologists

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