Hiyah Zaidi
Published November 25, 2025 11:42am
Updated November 25, 2025 11:42am
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A 1,700-year-old remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus has been discovered in Hungary's capital, Budapest, unveiling a rare glimpse into the life at the time. Researchers, along with the Budapest History Museum, discovered the limestone coffin during a large-scale excavation in Óbuda, which was once part of a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube frontier. (Picture: AP)
The sarcophagus was well preserved, seemingly untouched by looters and sealed for centuries as its stone lid was still fixed in place, secured by metal clamps and molten lead. And when the researchers lifted the lid, they found a complete skeleton surrounded by dozens of artifacts. The coffin was in the ruins of abandoned houses in a quarter of Aquincum, which was abandoned in the 3rd century and later repurposed as a burial ground. (Picture: AP)
Dr Gabriella Fényes, the excavation’s lead archaeologist, said: ‘The peculiarity of the finding is that it was a hermetically sealed sarcophagus. It was not disturbed previously, so it was intact. The deceased was buried very carefully by her relatives. They must have really loved who they buried here.’ (Picture: Gabor Lakos, Budapest History Museum via AP)
Researchers also unearthed a Roman aqueduct and eight simpler graves. However, they were not as well preserved as the sealed tomb. The sarcophagus has an array of objects, which included two completely intact glass vessels, bronze figures and 140 coins. A bone hair pin, a piece of amber jewelry and traces of gold-threaded fabric, along with the size of the skeleton, point to the grave belonging to a young woman. Dr Fényes said the objects were ‘items given to the deceased by her relatives for her eternal journey.’ (Picture: AP photo/Bela Szandelszky)
A lot of Hungary used to form the Roman province of Pannonia, whose frontier ran along the right bank of the Danube River less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the site. A legionary camp stood a short distance away, near the empire’s border, and the newly found structures were believed to have been part of the civilian settlement that grew around it. The young woman’s remains will be examined, which will reveal more about her age, health and origins. But even now, the grave’s placement and abundance of artifacts offer strong clues. (Picture: AP photo/Bela Szandelszky)
Co-leader Gergely Kostyál said that the sarcophagus and its contents ‘definitely make it stand out.’ He said: ‘This probably means that the deceased was well-to-do or of a higher social status. It is truly rare to find a sarcophagus like this, untouched and never used before, because in the fourth century it was common to reuse earlier sarcophagi. It is quite clear that this sarcophagus was made specifically for the deceased.’ (Picture: Gabor Lakos, Budapest History Museum via AP)
There was also a layer of mud roughly four centimeters (1.5 inches) thick inside the coffin. Dr Fényes said: ‘I suspect we could find jewelry. We haven’t found any earrings or other jewelry belonging to the woman, so I hope that these small items will turn up during the sifting of the mud. I was very touched by the care and expression of love that we were able to get a glimpse of. Even now, I shudder to think how painful it must have been for the people at that time to bury this young lady.’ (Picture: Gabor Lakos, Budapest History Museum via AP)
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