A Roman-era lead sarcophagus was uncovered on Tuesday at the site of a 2000-year-old Roman necropolis in the Gaza Strip. The necropolis is along the Northern Gaza coast and 500 meters (0.3 miles) from the sea.
The sarcophagus may have belonged to a prominent individual based on where it was found, the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ director of excavation and museums, Jehad Yasin, told CNN on Thursday.
Yasin said the ancient Roman cemetery was discovered in 2022 “as excavations were carried out at the site in cooperation with Premiere Urgence Internationale and funded by the British Council.”
The coffin was exhumed from the site to perform archaeological analysis for bone identification, which will take around two months, according to Yasin.
A team of experts in ancient funerary will unseal the coffin in the coming weeks.
“The state of preservation of the sarcophagus is exceptional, as it remained sealed and closed,” read a press release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
French and Palestinian archaeologists have uncovered 85 individual and collective tombs in the 3,500-square-meter Roman acropolis since its discovery last year, while 10 of them have been opened for excavation.
Beyond the rubble of the coastal enclave lay dozens of artifacts and burial sites from the Roman, Byzantine and Canaanite eras.
The ministry expects more archaeological findings at the necropolis.
Further sarcophagi are likely to be uncovered in the following months, said Director Yasin.
Source: www.cnn.com