A massive marble sarcophagus of a rich Ancient Thracian aristocrat has been unearthed in a Thracian tumulus from the period of the Roman Empire during rescue excavations near the town of Boyanovo, Elhovo Municipality, in Southeast Bulgaria.
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This 3rd century AD Ancient Thracian marble sarcophagus where a Thracian
aristocrat was buried has been found in a Thracian burial mound
near Bulgaria’s Boyanovo [Credit: ElhovoNews] |
The impressive ancient Thracian sarcophagus, dated to the beginning of the 3rd century AD, weighs an estimated 6 metric tons; it is 2.7 meters long, 1.4 meters wide, and its walls are 15 cm thick, reports a local news source.
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The ruins of an ancient colonnade which lined the entrance of the second
Thracian tomb near Boyanovo have also been found
[Credit: ElhovoNews] |
The sarcophagus, however, was not the only discovery in the excavated Thracian mound where the archaeologists have also found a colonnade and a second tomb of brick masonry with murals.
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Rescue excavations at the 3rd century Thracian burial mound
in Southeast Bulgaria [Credit: ElhovoNews] |
It is believed that the tomb containing the sarcophagus had been looted by treasure hunters several times in the past couple of centuries.
The current rescue excavations were triggered by reports of treasure hunters digging up the ancient mound at the beginning of 2015.
The locals even learned from the treasure hunters that the latter had reached a huge sarcophagus inside the mound, and alerted the authorities.
Source: Archaeology in Bulgaria [September 01, 2015]
