Archaeologists lift the lid on a 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus hidden beneath Budapest

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus has been discovered in the Hungarian capital, providing a rare window into the young woman’s life and the world she inhabited about 1,700 years ago.

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

Spared by looters and sealed for centuries, the sarcophagus was found with its stone lid still attached, secured by metal clamps and molten lead. When researchers carefully lifted the lid, they discovered a complete skeleton surrounded by dozens of artifacts.

“The peculiarity of the discovery is that it is a hermetically closed sarcophagus. It was not disturbed before, so it was intact,” said Gabriella Fényes, lead archaeologist of the excavation.

The coffin lay among the ruins of abandoned houses in a district of Aquincum liberated in the 3rd century and later transformed into a cemetery. Nearby, researchers discovered a Roman aqueduct and eight simpler tombs, but none approached the richness or impeccable condition of the sealed tomb.

Faithful to Roman funerary customs, the sarcophagus contained a multitude of objects: two completely intact glass vases, bronze figures and 140 coins. A bone hairpin, an amber jewelry and traces of gold thread fabric, as well as the size of the skeleton, indicate the grave of a young woman.

The objects, Fényes said, were “objects given to the deceased by her loved ones for her eternal journey.”

“The deceased was buried very carefully by her relatives. They must have really loved the one they buried here,” she said.

In Roman times, much of what is now Hungary formed the province of Pannonia, whose border ran along the right bank of the Danube, less than a mile (1.6 km) from the site. A short distance away was a legionnaire camp guarding the empire’s border, and the newly discovered structures are believed to have been part of the civilian settlement that grew up around it.

Anthropologists will now examine the young woman’s remains, a process that is expected to reveal more about her age, health and origins. But even today, the tomb’s location and abundance of artifacts offer strong clues.

The sarcophagus and its contents “definitely set it apart,” said Gergely Kostyál, a specialist in the Roman period and co-leader of the project. “This probably means the deceased was well-off or had a higher social status.”

“It is really rare to find a sarcophagus like this, intact and never used before, because in the 4th century it was common to reuse earlier sarcophagi,” he added. “It is clear that this sarcophagus was made especially for the deceased.”

Excavators also removed a layer of mud about 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) thick from inside the coffin that Fényes hopes could contain more treasure.

“I suspect we might find some jewelry. We didn’t find any earrings or other jewelry belonging to the woman, so I’m hoping these small items will turn up when sifting through the mud,” she said.

For Fényes, the discovery of the Roman sarcophagus not only has scientific significance, but it also provides an emotional 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 get a glimpse of,” she said. “Even today I shudder to think how painful it must have been for the people of that time to bury this young woman.”