By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Archaeologists have removed the lid of a sealed ancient Roman sarcophagus, finding preserved remains of a young woman who died 1,700 years ago.
The team with the Budapest History Museum discovered the limestone coffin during a large-scale excavation in Óbuda, a northern district of the city that once formed part of Aquincum, a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube frontier.
Untouched by looters and sealed for centuries, the sarcophagus was found with its stone lid still fixed in place, secured by metal clamps and molten lead.
When researchers carefully lifted the lid, they uncovered a complete skeleton surrounded by dozens of artifacts, offering a rare glimpse into Roman life on the Danube frontier.
The funerary goods included two completely intact glass vessels, bronze figures and 140 coins.
Archaeologists also found a bone hairpin, a piece of amber jewelry and traces of gold-threaded fabric. They said the size of the skeleton pointed to a young girl.
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.’
Archaeologists opened the sealed coffin to find the remains of a young woman who has not been disturbed for 1,700 years
The team with the Budapest History Museum discovered the limestone coffin during a large-scale excavation in Óbuda,