Archaeologists Discover Sarcophagus With Lid Weighing Several Tonnes And Filled With Gold

A 2,400-year-old sarcophagus containing the bodies of a man and a woman together with a pot of gold had a covering on it that was so heavy it needed a crane to lift it.

It is believed the cover, that weighed several tonnes, might have been the reason the sarcophagus escaped tomb raiders for so many years after apparently being created some 2,400 years ago.

It was uncovered only recently during construction work on a site in the district of Bodrum in the south-western Turkish province of Mugla.

The sarcophagus was opened with the participation of Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, and images of it were shared by the Minister on his Twitter.

Local news outlet NTC reported that when the lid of the sarcophagus, which weighed many tons, was opened with the help of a crane, and inside the skeletons of two people, male and female, were found.

A large earthenware jar was also found next to the skeletons inside the sarcophagus.

Since the interior of the sarcophagus, which is thought to date back to 2,400 years ago, was covered with mud, archaeologists had to work carefully to remove it and also expose the valuable items including ancient gold jewellery that had been buried with the two people and covered in mud.

Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who watched the opening, then shared photographs of the artefacts and jewellery from the sarcophagus on his social media accounts.

He said: “There are 15 more sarcophagus tombs in the region that we think belongs to the 4th century BC. They are also being meticulously studied.”

The minister stated that the historical artefacts and jewellery found in the sarcophagus were taken to the Bodrum Underwater and Archeology Museum to be displayed.


To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Joe Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.

GET THE NEW STORIE ON TIME!!!!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Signup to our Newsletter