Unsealed sarcophagus contains shocking discovery

For many people, the sarcophagus has become synonymous with ancient burial rituals. Coffins were typically reserved for esteemed rulers and wealthy individuals, which has allowed scientists to learn a great deal with each discovery over the centuries.

Often associated with ancient Egypt, sarcophagi were also used in ancient Rome and Greece. A recent discovery in the tomb of Cerberus in the Italian town of Giugliano, near Naples, has allowed archaeologists to learn more about body preservation in ancient Roman society.

When a team of archaeologists opened the 2,000-year-old sarcophagus, they were shocked to find the remains of a person lying on their back in an “excellent state of preservation,” according to a statement obtained by Popular mechanicsThe body was covered with a cloth shroud and surrounded by typical funerary objects such as pots of ointment and body cleaning tools.

“The Tomb of Cerberus continues to provide valuable information on the Phlegraean territory near Linternum, expanding knowledge of the past and offering opportunities for research of a multidisciplinary nature,” said the superintendent of the Italian Ministry of Culture, Marian Nuzzo, in a statement.

Now the team will be busy learning more about many of the things they discovered.

“In recent months, laboratory analyses carried out on samples taken from graves and burial beds have provided a considerable amount of data regarding the treatment of the bodies of the deceased and the funerary rituals implemented, considerably enriching the panorama of our knowledge,” Nuzzo said.

It must have been quite a funeral for people to still be excited about it thousands of years later.