Archaeologists in Hungary have uncovered a Roman sarcophagus that has remained untouched for roughly 1,700 years. They opened it, and given the current state of the world, it’s a little hard to tell if they’ve unleashed a curse or if things are just like this all the time now. Maybe things are so bad that the girls can’t even compete.
The Associated Press reports that the limestone coffin was found in the Óbuda district of Budapest during excavations led by the Budapest History Museum. In Roman times, this area formed part of Aquincum, a frontier settlement along the Danube River in the province of Pannonia.
Most Roman tombs discovered today have been looted, reused, or disturbed over the centuries. This one had been sealed with metal clamps and molten lead when archaeologists uncovered it.
Archaeologists Open Ancient Roman Sarcophagus Sealed Shut With Molten Lead
In movies, that’s usually a big sign that whoever sealed it definitely did not want it opened for serious reasons that should be respected. Unless you do want a curse or a mommy or something to pop out of it.
When the team opened the coffin, no such curse or money occurred. Instead, they found a complete skeleton along with dozens of knick-knacks left behind by relatives who likely expected the burial to remain untouched forever.
Inside the coffin were two intact glass vessels, bronze figurines, about 140 coins, an amber ornament, and a bone hairpin. Traces of gold-threaded fabric also survived the centuries. Together with the skeleton’s size, these items suggest the tomb belonged to a young woman. Roman burial customs often included objects meant to accompany the dead on their journey to the afterlife.
The sarcophagus was discovered in a neighborhood that had been abandoned in the third century and later turned into a cemetery. Nearby, archaeologists also found simpler graves and the remains of a Roman aqueduct, but nothing as elaborate as this sealed burial.
As for the woman buried in the sarcophagus, she likely belonged to a higher social class, as indicated by the artifacts she was buried with. The sarcophagus also seems to have been built specifically for her, which is unusual in later Roman centuries when older coffins were often reused.
Researchers are now trying to determine more about the woman, like her age, her origins, and her health, which obviously wasn’t great if she was in a sarcophagus, but the specific reason she was in there is something worth looking into.
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