In the Selçuk district of western Turkiye’s İzmir, a sarcophagus believed to belong to a Roman gladiator from the third century BC was uncovered. This sarcophagus was later repurposed in the fifth century AD to hold the remains of 12 individual skeletons, with the lead sarcophagus identified as having belonged to a Roman gladiator named Euphrates. The sarcophagus is decorated with epic inscriptions on the outside, and three cross reliefs were added inside during the later repurposing.
The discovery was made during ongoing excavations at Ayasuluk Hill and the St. Jean Monument, which are being conducted under the leadership of associate professor Sinan Mimaroğlu from the Department of Art History at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University.
These excavations have the support of various institutions and are being carried out with permission from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, reports The Daily Sabah. Epigraphic analysis was conducted by associate professor Ertan Yıldız.
Selcuk (or Seljuk), Izmir, Turkey. (Hugh Llewelyn/ CC BY-SA 2.0)
A Sophisticated Sarcophagus, Beautiful Inscriptions
Similar examples of sarcophagi have been found in Istanbul, on Marmara Island, and in Syria. Mimaroğlu expressed surprise at the team’s discovery of a water channel, a pipe system, mosaics, a sarcophagus, and three stone graves shaped like sarcophagi, located just 20 centimeters below the surface. The tomb contained 12 individuals, suggesting it was used for collective burial.
“We found one tomb and three…
