1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus unearthed reveals treasures buried with woman

A remarkably well preserved Roman A sarcophagus has been unearthed in Hungary’s capital, offering a rare window into the life of the young woman inside it and the world she inhabited some 1,700 years ago.

The sarcophagus was untouched by looters and was sealed for centuries. It was found with its stone lid fixed in place, secured with metal clamps and molten lead. When the researchers carefully lifted the lid, they discovered a complete skeleton surrounded by dozens of artifacts.

“The peculiarity of the find is that it was a hermetically closed sarcophagus. It had not been previously altered, so it was intact,” said Gabriella Fényes, lead archaeologist of the excavation.

Archaeologists from the Budapest History Museum discovered the limestone coffin during a large-scale excavation in Óbuda, a district north of the city that was once part of Aquincum, a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube border.

The coffin lay among the ruins of abandoned houses in a neighborhood of Aquincum vacated in the 3rd century and later reused as a cemetery. Nearby, researchers discovered a Roman aqueduct and eight simpler tombs, but none came close to the richness or pristine condition of the sealed tomb.

Continuing with Roman According to funerary customs, the sarcophagus contained a wide variety of objects: two completely intact glass vessels, bronze figures and 140 coins. A bone hairpin, an amber jewel and remains of cloth with gold threads, together with the size of the skeleton, mark the grave of a young woman.

The objects, Fényes stated, 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 have loved who they buried here very much,” he said.

Anthropologists are now examining the young woman’s remains, which are expected to reveal more about her age, health and origins. But even now, the tomb’s location and abundance of artifacts offer solid clues.

The sarcophagus and its contents “definitely make it stand out,” said Gergely Kostyál, a specialist in Roman times and co-director of the project. “This probably means that the deceased was well-off or of a higher social status.”

“It is truly rare to find a sarcophagus like this, intact and never used before, because in the 4th 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 in) thick from the inside of the coffin that Fényes hoped might contain more treasure.

The images showed gold jewelry found at the site, as well as a glass jar, glass jar and other items intact after being collected. The images also showed archaeologists examining the woman’s skull, along with other remains. Other images showed workers lifting the lid of the sarcophagus with heavy machinery, after securing it.

For Fényes, the discovery of the Roman sarcophagus is not only scientifically important, but also an emotionally resonant insight into the devotion shown by people in ancient times.

“I was very touched by the care and expression of love that we were able to glimpse,” she said. “Even now I shudder to think how painful it must have been for the people of that time to bury this young woman.”