Image Credit: Budapest History Museum - AP Photo

1700 year old Roman Tomb Found in Budapest

Archaeologists in Budapest have uncovered a remarkably preserved 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus containing the remains of a young woman and an exceptional collection of grave goods. The limestone coffin was found in Óbuda, a district that once formed part of Aquincum, the Roman frontier town on the Danube.
The sarcophagus was discovered untouched, its stone lid still sealed with metal clamps and molten lead. When excavators from the Budapest History Museum lifted the lid, they found a complete skeleton surrounded by dozens of artifacts. Lead archaeologist Gabriella Fényes described it as a "hermetically sealed" burial, undisturbed since antiquity.
The tomb lay in an abandoned quarter of Aquincum that was converted into a cemetery in the third century. While nearby excavations revealed simple graves and the remains of an aqueduct, none matched the richness of the sealed coffin.
Inside were two intact glass vessels, bronze figurines, 140 coins, a bone hairpin, amber jewelry, and traces of gold-threaded cloth. Based on these objects and the skeleton’s size, the burial belonged to a young woman of high social status. Fényes noted that the grave goods were lovingly placed by relatives "for her eternal journey."
Aquincum stood near the Roman frontier of the province of Pannonia, guarded by a legionary camp less than a mile away. The newly discovered structures likely belonged to the civilian town surrounding the military base.
Anthropologists will now study the woman’s bones to determine her age, health, and origins. The sarcophagus itself also offers clues: unlike many Roman coffins that were reused in later centuries, this one was made specifically for the deceased.
A thin layer of mud inside the coffin is still being carefully sifted, and Fényes believes more personal items may be found. "We haven’t recovered earrings or jewelry belonging to her yet, so I hope they appear in the mud," she said.
For the excavation team, the find is both scientifically significant and deeply moving. "I was very touched by the care and love we saw in this burial," Fényes said. "It must have been heartbreaking for her family to say goodbye."

Published on: 21-11-2025

Source: Associated Press