A massive Roman limestone sarcophagus found still sealed in Budapest has been opened revealing the skeletal remains of a woman and dozens of valuable grave goods, including intact glass vessels, an amber gemstone and 140 coins. It dates to the 4th century, a period when people often reused old sarcophagi, but this one was made specifically for the deceased.
The sarcophagus was discovered in an excavation of the Óbuda district, the site of the ancient city of Aquincum. Founded by the Celtic Eravisci tribe in the 1st century B.C., the settlement was converted into a Roman military castrum and associated civilian city by Rome after its defeat of the Eravisci in 12 B.C. Its strategic location on the Danube limes made Aquincum a hive of military and commercial activity. It was made the capital of the imperial province of Pannonia Inferior in 103 A.D., and by the end of the 2nd century had grown to a city of 30,000 with public baths, an aqueduct, two amphitheaters, temples and sanctuaries, extensive industry (pottery making, metalwork, fabric dying, food production), the governor’s palace and other luxury domiciles for wealthy residents and city officials.
The massive size and quality of the sarcophagus and the objects it contain mark the deceased as one of those wealthy residents. It was discovered among the remains of houses abandoned in the 3rd century that were later repurposed as a burial ground. Eight other graves were found in the area, but none of them were as elaborate, richly furnished or well-preserved as the sarcophagus.
The lid was still fixed in place, clamped to the sarcophagus with iron brackets and molten lead. It must have been an intimidating prospect for looters, because the sarcophagus was never disturbed until the team of archaeologists from the Budapest History Museum and heavy machinery lifted the lid.
A
n initial excavation inside the coffin at the site removed 1.5 inches of clay that had seeped through the seal. Archaeologists found a bone hairpin, bronze figurines, a piece of amber, 140 coins, a light green glass vase with a matching small bowl and traces of a textile with gold thread. The size of the bones and the nature of the artifacts indicate the deceased was a young woman.
The skeletal remains and the artifacts will now be analyzed and conserved at the Budapest History Museum.
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