Ancient Roman sarcophagus uncovered on Bulgarian beach

A vacationer on the beach in Varna, Bulgaria, found a perfectly preserved sarcophagus from ancient Roman times. The sarcophagus dates back to the 2nd-3rd century AD, and the tourist accidentally stumbled upon it. A more precise age of the find will be determined during research, which the Bulgarians have already planned.

While on vacation in Bulgaria, the tourist came across a Roman sarcophagus on the northern Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea, near Varna.

The discovery was reported to local authorities, leading to a swift response from the Varna Archaeological Museum and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage Protection regional office at the Ministry of Culture, which are now studying it.

The discovery was made on Tuesday, July 23, by a former police officer who was vacationing in the area. While enjoying the beach near a recently completed construction site, he came across the coffin and immediately contacted the local police.

A police patrol, along with archaeological specialists, is conducting a preliminary inspection and suspects that the item likely dates back to the Roman era, specifically from the 2nd century—according to Bulgarian national television, the 3rd century AD.

The casket features rich decoration, with characteristic stylized adornments on all four sides: garlands, leaves, grapes, and animal heads. It measures approximately 35 x 93 x 30 inches.

Milen Marinow, an expert from the local history museum who is part of the team studying the sarcophagus, told BTA that they have started removing the paint from it.

We want to see what lies beneath it, whether any of the original coloring has been preserved, and what technique was used to make it. This information will tell us if the sarcophagus is authentic. We have just begun, so we cannot say anything for sure yet, he said.