An ancient Roman sarcophagus resembling a table was discovered in a tourist beach bar in Bulgaria.
The 1,700-year-old relic is said to have been found on the sandy shores of the Black Sea, near Varna, where the Radjana Beach Bar reportedly found it.
A former police officer was visiting the beach bar St. Constantine and Elena while on holiday when he noticed the decorated table.
The tourist alerted local authorities, who sent archaeologists to verify that the object was a historical artifact.
Photos and videos posted online show that the centuries-old sarcophagus has been used as a bar since at least 2020, prompting authorities to launch a preliminary investigation into how the object ended up on the beach.
A 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus was found as a table in a beach bar in Bulgaria
The sarcophagus was found in the Radjana Beach Bar in Varna, an area located on the Black Sea
Archaeologists were called to the scene and determined that the limestone coffin and decorative elements matched other relics from northwestern Bulgaria from that period.
The ancient stone chest was decorated on the sides with garlands, animal rosettes and a labrys (better known as an axe). The top was replaced by a stone slab that served as a bar for customers.
Although archaeologists from the Regional Historical Museum reported that it appeared to have been painted over, the team told the Bulgarian news channel Devnik that it was authentic after some of the paint had been removed.
Archaeologist Alexander Minchev and his team determined that the original structure and interior of the stone date back to the second century AD.
The Roman sarcophagus, measuring over 2.5 metres in length, has been transferred to the Archaeological Museum in Varna, where it will be further examined.
Although archaeologists from the Regional Historical Museum reported that it appeared to have been repainted, the team told Bulgarian news outlet Devnik that it was authentic after some of the paint had been removed
The ancient stone chest was decorated on the sides with garlands, animal rosettes and a labrys – better known as an axe
It is still unclear where the sarcophagus came from, but archaeologists told Devnik that the design style is not typical of other Roman artifacts found in Varna and was most likely brought from another region in Bulgaria.
In Bulgaria, “any object of archaeological value, regardless of where, when and by whom it was found, is the property of the state,” Minchev told Bulgarian national television, according to The Sofia Globe.
“That means that whoever found it is obliged to give it to the nearest museum. It is the task of the police, or possibly the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to investigate how this sarcophagus ended up in Varna and on the beach,” he continued.
“That is something that the competent authorities must do and that must be done, because this is probably not an isolated case.”
It remains unclear where the sarcophagus came from, but archaeologists told Devnik that the design style is not typical of other Roman artifacts found in Varna and was most likely brought from another region in Bulgaria.
Authorities have not yet made any arrests, but have referred the case to the Varna District Prosecutor’s Office, which has launched a preliminary investigation to determine how the sarcophagus ended up on the beach and why it was used as a bar.
Authorities have not yet made any arrests, but have referred the case to the Varna District Prosecutor’s Office, which has launched a preliminary investigation to determine how the sarcophagus ended up on the beach and why it was used as a bar.
Roman artefacts are widely traded in Bulgaria. In 2020, police seized a staggering 4,600 archaeological objects brought from Bulgaria to the UK.
Like the Roman sarcophagus, the objects, which include urns, lamps, arrowheads and ancient coins, all come from military camps once located in northern Bulgaria.