ÇORUM, TURKEY—A 1,900-year-old sarcophagus that was illegally unearthed from a tumulus in northern Anatolia has been moved to the Çorum Museum. “The two long sides of the tomb cover were broken by smugglers who wanted to enter it. One of the acroteria was also broken. Some pieces of this acroterion were found by experts and attached to their place by the conservator of the museum. Eros, the god of love in Greek mythology, is embroidered on the surface of the tomb. The head of Eros received damage because of smugglers,” museum director Önder İpek told Hurriyet Daily News. Bones thought to have belonged to a woman will be tested. A silver coin, a gold earring, and a ring were also recovered.
First-Century Sarcophagus Recovered in Turkey
News May 16, 2014
Recommended Articles
Features July/August 2026
Egypt's First Queen
How a trailblazing ruler pulled her realm back from the brink
Features July/August 2026
Secrets of the Serpent
Is a Native American origin story embedded in Ohio’s colossal earthwork?
Features July/August 2026
Slinging Insults
Greek and Roman soldiers fired pointed barbs at their enemies
Features July/August 2026
Inside Africa’s Houses of Stone
Archaeologists are rethinking how kings shared power beyond the great capitals of medieval Zimbabwe
-
Features March/April 2014
All Hands on Deck
Inviting the world to explore a shipwreck deep in the Gulf of Mexico
(Courtesy NOAA) -
Features March/April 2014
Messengers to the Gods
During a turbulent period in ancient Egypt, common people turned to animal mummies to petition the gods, inspiring the rise of a massive religious industry
Courtesy The Brooklyn Museum -
Letter From Borneo March/April 2014
The Landscape of Memory
ARCHAEOLOGY, oral history, and culture deep in the Malaysian jungle
(Jerry Redfern) -
Artifacts March/April 2014
Chimú-Inca Funerary Idols
(Matthew Helmer)