A 1,800-Year-Old Roman Gladiator Tomb Was Uncovered In Turkey, But With The Remains Of 12 Different People Inside, Suggesting The Tomb Was Reused 200 Years After Being Built
A team of archaeologists in Turkey has unearthed a 1,800-year-old sarcophagus belonging to a Roman gladiator named Euphrates from the third century C.E., according to inscriptions. However, when they opened the tomb, they did not find the gladiator’s remains.
Instead, the team discovered a number of bones dating back to the fifth century C.E., indicating the tomb had been reused about 200 years after it was built.
“We know from the inscription on the tomb that it was first used for gladiators,” said Sinan Mimaroglu, the leader of the excavation and an associate professor and art historian at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University in Turkey. “It was built in the third century A.D.”
The team found the grand Roman tomb buried eight inches deep within the ruins of a basilica on Ayasuluk Hill in Turkey’s western İzmir Province, which formed part of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus.
The basilica is dedicated to St. John and is an ancient burial site. The Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I converted it into a domed structure during his reign from A.D. 527 to 565.
The archaeologists noticed an inscription on the exterior of the sarcophagus featuring the name “Euphrates.” It is believed that was the gladiator’s name.
In addition, the lid and interior of the stone coffin were covered with cross symbols similar to engravings that have been found inside imperial tombs in Syria and other parts of Turkey.
The three cross reliefs on the inside of the sarcophagus date to the fifth century, while the crosses on the tomb’s lid were likely added in the eighth century.
The archaeologists also uncovered mosaics, a water channel, a drainage system, and several other tombs alongside the gladiator’s tomb.
Leonid Andronov – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
“We found one tomb and three tomb-like structures with 12 individuals inside. This indicates a collective burial,” said Mimaroglu.
“The sarcophagus is a Roman one with a very beautiful epic inscription. It belonged to a Roman gladiator and was repurposed during the Christian period with three cross reliefs added inside.”
This gladiator sarcophagus is different than others from the same era due to its reuse roughly 200 years later.
Sometime in the fifth century, an additional 12 people, including both men and women, were buried inside. The 12 burials were probably of individuals with high status at the time.
“The burials inside the church likely belong to the upper class or clergy, as it’s unlikely an ordinary person would be buried in such a meticulous manner within a church,” Mimaroglu said.
The site is also significant because of early evidence based on ceramics that indicated it was the first location of the ancient city of Ephesus before it was destroyed and rebuilt.
Since 2020, Mimaroglu has led excavations at the site. Initial excavations began in 1921. Over the past 100 years, many new discoveries and insights have been made.
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