TOYS FOR THE AFTERLIFE

Archeologists Make Heartbreaking Find in Ancient Coffin

Archaeologists have opened a 1,700-year-old coffin to find toys and keepsakes that hint at a child’s tragic fate.

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Archaeologists in Romania have uncovered a remarkably preserved Roman-era sarcophagus containing what appears to be the grave goods of a young child. When researchers opened the wooden coffin inside, they found clay toys, including a rooster-shaped rattle, flower garlands and two protective amulets traditionally given to Roman boys. The burial is believed to date from the second or third century AD and was discovered near the ancient city of Tomis, in present-day Constanța. The Museum of National History and Archaeology Constanța said the sarcophagus’s intact condition and untouched grave goods offered rare insight into Roman burial customs. “Although we are still at the beginning of the documentation, we consider this discovery to be important, primarily due to the intact preservation of the sarcophagus,” the museum told Gizmodo. It added that the “untouched preservation of the funerary inventory [provides] precious information regarding Roman-era funerary practices in Tomis.”