Ancient Roman tombstone found beneath undergrowth in New Orleans yard
One day, while clearing their garden in New Orleans, a married couple discovered something completely unexpected: a Roman headstone that once marked the grave of a soldier who lived halfway around the world in the second century.
Research into this unlikely object indicates that it is authentic and its discovery hints at an international mystery dating back to World War II.
In this case, the owners were Daniella Santoroanthropologist at Tulane University, and her husband Aaron Lorenz, Gray noted in an online report from October 6 on investigations on the stone.
“When Daniella first described this, I thought maybe it was a 19th century tombstone that had been salvaged from a cemetery in New Orleans and then thrown away,” Gray said. “However, as soon as I saw the photo of the inscription, I immediately suspected that it was something very different.”
Ancient tombstone
Santoro had found the strange marble tablet under the undergrowth in the backyard of his “shotgun” home in historic Carrollton. The stone is about 30 centimeters wide and slightly longer, and one surface is densely chiselled with Roman text.
Experts say the Latin inscription can be translated into English and reads: “To the spirits of the dead for Sextus Congenius Verus, soldier of the Praetorian fleet Misenensis, of the tribe of Bessi.” [of Thrace](who) lived 42 years (and) served 22 years in the army, on the trireme [warship] Asclepius. Atilius Carus and Vettius Longinus, his heirs, have done him well.”
It was clear that it was the tombstone of a soldier born in the Thrace region of northern Greece who had served on a Roman warship. But now a new mystery arises: How did the tombstone end up in New Orleans?
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A continuing mystery
An investigation revealed that the inscription had been previously recorded by archaeologists, but on a 2nd-century tombstone found near Civitavecchia, an ancient city and port located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Rome. This tombstone, however, was reported missing after World War II, when Allied bombs destroyed the museum that housed it.
It’s unclear exactly what happened next, but Gray listed a few ideas in his report: perhaps an American soldier passing through Civitavecchia after the Allies liberated Rome in 1944 had acquired it as a souvenir; or perhaps it was acquired after the war by an antiques dealer, who then sold it to a tourist, he said. Santoro and Lorenz are currently working with U.S. and Italian authorities to return the tombstone to Civitavecchia.
“To me, this story reflects a wonderful intersection of an owner’s curiosity, ultimately bringing to light something unexpected and historically significant,” Gray wrote in his report. “While we may never know exactly how the tombstone of Sextus Congenius Verus ended up in New Orleans, we do know that the item is now safe and is about to be returned to where it can be properly displayed.”
