Mysterious Stone Found in Their Backyard Turned Out to Be a 2,000-Year-Old Treasure
Stumbling upon old ceramic pieces or broken statues while landscaping a garden wouldn't raise many eyebrows. However, for a couple living in New Orleans, the marble stone they unearthed was far from an ordinary decorative piece. The Latin inscriptions on it hinted at the possibility of an archaeological discovery. Initially, they thought they had come across an ancient tombstone. However, when experts stepped in, the story took an entirely different turn.
The Latin inscription, found semi-buried in the garden, signified something far beyond a mere decorative object.
Anthropologist Daniella Santoro and her husband Aaron Lopez made a surprising discovery in the garden of their home in the historic Carrollton district of New Orleans. Half-buried in the soil, they noticed a marble slab. What stood out was the Latin inscription on the stone. Santoro expressed that the presence of the inscription gave them pause, leading them to believe they were dealing with something far from ordinary.
At first glance, it gave the impression of being a decorative replica, yet the inscription hinted at archaeological significance. Trusting her instincts, Santoro decided to reach out to experts. A team, including archaeologist Susann Lusnia from Tulane University and anthropologist D. Ryan Gray from the University of New Orleans, began to examine the inscription.
With the deciphering of the inscription, the story of a soldier from the Roman Empire era has come to light.
The text began with the phrase 'Dis Manibus,' a traditional dedication often seen on Roman tomb inscriptions, dedicated to the 'spirits of the deceased.' The subsequent translation revealed that the stone was prepared in honor of a Thracian Roman soldier named Sextus Congenius Verus.
The inscription indicated that the soldier passed away at the age of 42 after serving in the military for 22 years. The tombstone was commissioned by his heirs, Atilius Carus and Vettius Longinus. This memorial stone, erected in honor of a soldier who lived nearly 1,900 years ago, had surfaced in a garden half a world away in Louisiana.
The journey of the stone, potentially shaped under the shadow of the war years, may have stretched from Italy to the USA.
Research has revealed that the slab was recorded in the collection of the Civitavecchia National Archaeology Museum in Italy in the early 20th century. The museum suffered severe damage during World War II, leading to the loss of numerous artifacts. The war across Europe resulted in the displacement and disappearance of cultural assets.
The dimensions of the stone matched the museum records. According to Erin Scott O’Brien, the former owner of the house in Carrollton, the artifact was among the family heirlooms of American soldier Charles Paddock Jr., who had served in Italy. O’Brien stated that she had placed the stone in the garden, considering it to be an artistic object, unaware of its true value.
After the passage of many decades, the FBI Art Crime Team began coordinating the process. Plans are underway to return the tombstone to the lands where the Roman soldier once served.
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