BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus has been unearthed in Hungary’s capital, offering a rare window into the life of the young woman inside and the world it inhabited some 1,700 years ago.
Archaeologists with the Budapest History Museum discovered the limestone coffin during a large-scale excavation in Óbuda, a northern district of the city that once formed part of Aquincum, a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube border.
Untouched by looters and sealed for centuries, the sarcophagus was found with its stone lid still fixed in place, secured with metal clamps and molten lead. When the researchers carefully lifted the lid, they uncovered a complete skeleton surrounded by dozens of artifacts.
“The peculiarity of the find is that it was a hermetically sealed sarcophagus. It was not disturbed before, so it was intact,” said Gabriella Fényes, the chief archaeologist of the excavation.
The coffin was among the remains of abandoned houses in a quarter of Aquincum that was vacated in the 3rd century and later reused as a burial place. Nearby, researchers have uncovered a Roman aqueduct and eight simpler tombs, but none come close to the richness or pristine condition of the sealed tomb.
In keeping with Roman funerary customs, the sarcophagus contained a range of objects: two completely intact glass vessels, bronze figures and 140 coins. A bone hair pin, a piece of amber jewelery and traces of gold thread cloth, together with the size of the skeleton, indicate the grave of a young woman.
The objects, Fényes said, were “objects given to the deceased by her relatives for her eternal journey.”
“The deceased was buried with great care by her relatives. They must really love those buried here,” she said.
During the Roman period, much of what is now Hungary formed the province of Pannonia, whose border ran along the right bank of the Danube River less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the site. Not far away was a legionary camp guarding the frontier of the empire, and the newly discovered structures are believed to have been part of the civilian settlement that grew up around it.
Anthropologists will now examine the remains of the young woman, a process that is expected to reveal more about her age, health and origin. But even now, the placement of the tomb and the abundance of artifacts offer strong clues.
The sarcophagus and its contents “definitely stand out,” said Gergely Kostyál, a Roman period specialist and co-leader of the project. “This probably means that the deceased was good or of a higher social status.”
“It is really rare to find a sarcophagus like this, untouched and never used before, because in the fourth century it was common to reuse previous sarcophagi,” he added. “It is quite clear that this sarcophagus was made specifically for the deceased.”
The excavators also removed a layer of mud about 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) thick from inside the coffin that Fényes hopes may contain more treasures.
“I suspect that we may find jewelry. We did not find any earrings or other jewelry of the woman, so I hope that these small items will come off during the sifting of the mud,” she said.
For Fényes, the discovery of the Roman sarcophagus is not only of scientific significance, but an emotionally resonant look at the devotion shown by people in ancient times.
“I was very touched by the care and expression of love that we could get a glimpse of,” she said. “Even now, I get sad when I think how much pain it must have been for the people at that time to bury this girl.”