An ancient stone sarcophagus has been uncovered in northeastern France, dating back thousands of years to the Roman Era, and it contains some unexpected treasures.
The discovery was made in Reims on September 19, in a necropolis that was uncovered at the end of 2022, according to a statement from Inrap (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research).
The sarcophagus was found to be made of limestone, and measures 3.3 feet high, 5.4 feet long and 2.6 feet wide, with a 1,700-pound lid held in place by iron pegs sealed with lead. The archaeologists first did X-rays on the sarcophagus, then used an endoscopic camera. They found a skeleton of a woman inside, alongside a number of other objects, including a mirror.
"It's quite exceptional, it's the first time that we have found a tomb intact and which has not been looted. It was sealed by eight iron staples, and we were the first to explore it," Agnès Balmelle, deputy scientific and technical director at Inrap Grand Est, told local news Le Parisien.
"The skeleton occupied the entire space of the [5-foot] tank, the individual must have been around 40 years old and had a special status. Four oil lamps were found near her legs and shoulders, as well as a small mirror, an amber ring and a comb," Balmelle added.
"Part of this furniture indicates that the burial took place in the 2nd century AD. Samples of the sediment present on the bones and on the bottom of the tank should make it possible to determine whether there are plant remains or products linked to body treatment," Émilie Jouhet, scientific manager of Inrap, told France 3 Grand Est.
DNA from the skeleton's teeth will also be compared to samples in a database to determine the genealogy of the woman.
She is thought to have been a worker of some form, due to damage found on her skeleton.
"She is not idle, because marks of osteoarthritis, on one side only, show the repetition of a gesture, of a posture," anthropologist Sandrine Thiol, an archaeologist at Inrap, told France 3 Grand Est.
The sarcophagus marks the most-recent discovery at the necropolis at Rue Soussillon, which continues to reveal treasures from the past, with archaeologists hoping to find more artifacts that escaped looting and destruction over the centuries.
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