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During the Roman period, much of what is now Hungary formed the province of Pannonia
Justin SpikeFriday 21 November 2025 09:50 GMT
open image in galleryWorkers securing the lid of intact Roman sarcophagus for lift at an archeological site in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 30, 2025. (Gabor Lakos, Budapest History Museum via AP)
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A remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus has been unearthed in Hungary’s capital, offering a rare and intimate window into the life of a young woman who lived some 1,700 years ago.
Archaeologists from the Budapest History Museum made the significant discovery during extensive excavations in Óbuda, a northern district of the city that once formed part of Aquincum, a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube frontier.
Crucially, the limestone coffin remained untouched by looters and sealed for centuries, its stone lid still firmly fixed in place by metal clamps and molten lead. Upon careful opening, researchers uncovered a complete skeleton, remarkably intact, surrounded by dozens of ancient artefacts.
“The peculiarity of the finding is that it was a hermetically sealed sarcophagus. It was not disturbed previously, so it was intact,” said Gabriella Fényes, the excavation’s lead archaeologist.
open image in galleryThis photo released by Budapest History Museum shows researchers removing clay from an intact Roman sarcophagus at an archeological site in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 30, 2025. (Gabor Lakos, Budapest History Museum via AP)The coffin lay among the ruins of abandoned houses in a quarter of Aquincum vacated in the 3rd century and later repurposed as a burial ground. Nearby, researchers uncovered a Roman aqueduct and eight simpler graves, but none approaching the richness or pristine condition of the sealed tomb.
Keeping with Roman funerary customs, the sarcophagus held an array of objects: 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.
The objects, Fényes said, were “items given to the deceased by her relatives for her eternal journey.”
“The deceased was buried very carefully by her relatives. They must have really loved who they buried here,” she said.
During the Roman period, much of what is now Hungary formed the 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 short distance away stood a legionary camp guarding the empire’s border, and the newly found structures are believed to have been part of the civilian settlement that grew around it.
open image in galleryThis photo released by Budapest History Museum shows an intact Roman sarcophagus after its lid was lifted at an archeological site in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 30, 2025. (Gabor Lakos, Budapest History Museum via AP)Anthropologists will now examine the young woman’s remains, a process expected to reveal more about her age, health and origins. But even now, the grave’s placement and abundance of artifacts offer strong clues.
The sarcophagus and its contents “definitely make it stand out,” said Gergely Kostyál, a Roman-period specialist and coleader of the project. “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,” he added. “It is quite clear that this sarcophagus was made specifically for the deceased.”
open image in galleryHungarian archaeologists Gabriella Fenyes, left, and Gergely Kostyal inspect the skull of a Roman-era woman after her remains were found, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. (AP photo/Bela Szandelszky) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Excavators also removed a layer of mud roughly 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) thick from inside the coffin that Fényes hopes could contain more treasures.
“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,” she said.
For Fényes, the discovery of the Roman sarcophagus is not only of scientific significance, but an emotionally resonant insight into the devotion displayed by people in an ancient time.
“I was very touched by the care and expression of love that we were able to get a glimpse of,” she said. “Even now, I shudder to think how painful it must have been for the people at that time to bury this young lady.”
