The sarcophagus was found by construction workers

Sep 4, 2015 17:55 GMT  ·  By

Just last week, construction workers in the city of Ashkelon in Israel inadvertently unearthed an ancient sarcophagus while working on a project. 

The sarcophagus, now in the custody of the Israel Antiquities Authority, is said to be about 1,800 years old. It is carved from limestone, a type of sedimentary rock, and weighs around 2 tons.

Although it spent many centuries buried in the ground, archaeologists who have had the chance to examine it say it is remarkably well preserved.

The sarcophagus dates back to the Roman era

Officials with the Israel Antiquities Authority say this stone sarcophagus discovered by construction workers in the city of Ashkelon dates back to the Roman era. Its very design is Roman.

Thus, the lid displays a life-size carving of a man wearing a short-sleeved shirt and leaning on his left hand, his hair arranged in curls in the traditional Roman fashion.

“The figure's eyes were apparently inlaid with precious stones that have disappeared, and the hair is arranged in curls, in a typical Roman hairstyle,” said researcher Gabi Mazor in a statement, as cited by Live Science.

Some suspect this carving might show the deceased who was supposed to spend eternity tucked away inside the sarcophagus. Still, since no body was found, this is pure speculation for now.

The sides of the stone coffin, which measures 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) from one end to the other, feature the head of the Medusa, an amphora, grapes, cupids, bulls and other Roman motifs.

Judging by its design, archaeologists suspect the 1,800-year-old sarcophagus was built for a wealthy individual, probably a Roman leader.

“The high level of decoration attested to the family’s affluence, which, judging by the depicted motifs, was probably not Jewish,” said Gabi Mazor.

The construction workers tried to hide the find

When they discovered the stone coffin, the construction workers didn't alert authorities. Rather, they tried to hide the find, fearing that researchers would chase them away from the site and they could not move forward with their project.

They used a tractor to pull the stone coffin from the ground and then they hid it under a pile of construction debris. In the process, they damaged some of the engravings on its sides.

The Israel Antiquities Authorities plan to take legal action against the construction workers, who risk being sentenced to 5 years in prison for damaging the artifact and trying to hide its discovery.

Roman-era sarcophagus found in Israel (5 Images)

Ancient sarcophagus discovered in Israel
The stone coffin is about 1,800 years oldIt dates back to the Roman era
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