An unexpected discovery was made on the beach near the resort of Saints Constantine and Helena, located on Bulgaria’s northern Black Sea coast, when an ancient sarcophagus from the Roman era was found unattended.

Credit: Bulgaria Ministry of Interior

The find was initially reported by a former policeman vacationing in the area, who noticed the sarcophagus near a newly constructed, yet to be operational, complex. Promptly, he informed the Fifth Regional Department in Varna, leading to a swift response by local authorities and specialists.

Upon receiving the report, a team consisting of police officers, archaeologists from the Varna Archaeological Museum, and representatives from the Culture Ministry Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage arrived at the site to inspect the artifact.

Their initial ᴀssessment dated the sarcophagus to the 2nd or 3rd century CE, during the Roman era. Measuring approximately 90 x 235 x 75 cm, the sarcophagus is adorned with elaborate relief decorations, including garlands, animal heads, rosettes, and the labris, a double-edged ax. These intricate designs are characteristic of Roman funerary art.

The sarcophagus, notably lacking its original lid, presented a unique challenge for the specialists. According to Milen Marinov, a restorer at the Varna Historical Museum, the artifact was found with a modern marble lid featuring three niches, suggesting it may have been repurposed as a table. Additionally, it had been painted with facade paint, which the team is now carefully removing to reveal any remaining original coloring and to study the techniques used in its creation.

Marinov added: “We want to see what is under it, whether any of the original coloring has remained, what technique was used to make it – all of the information that will tell us if the sarcophagus is authentic. We have just started, we can’t say anything for sure.” This thorough analysis is crucial in determining whether the sarcophagus is an authentic Roman relic, a modified original, or a contemporary creation designed to resemble an antique.

Varna Known for its prehistoric heritage, including the 7,000-year-old Varna culture and the renowned Varna Necropolis, has been a significant cultural and historical site for millennia. Varna became a Thracian settlement, later an Ancient Greek colony, and eventually part of the Roman Empire in 15 CE. The Roman baths in Varna, constructed in the late 2nd century, are among the largest preserved in the Balkans.

Transporting the heavy sarcophagus to the Varna Archaeological Museum required the ᴀssistance of the Regional Department for Fire Safety and Civil Protection and specialized heavy equipment to ensure its safe relocation. The artifact is now under further examination by experts at the museum.

The circumstances surrounding the sarcophagus’ discovery remain unclear, and the ongoing investigation aims to uncover more details about its journey to the coastal resort.