1,200‑year‑old tomb found under Roman toilet in Ephesus, Turkey

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Ephesus in western Turkey uncovered a 1,200‑year‑old burial beneath a Roman public latrine close to the Temple of Artemis. The tomb contained the skeletal remains of two infants identified as pre‑term twins, one of which possessed an extra rib – a rare anatomical anomaly.

The discovery offers a unique glimpse into ancient health, childbirth practices and burial customs. Researchers plan DNA and further osteological analyses to better understand neonatal mortality and genetic traits in Roman‑era populations, while also investigating why such a burial was placed beneath a communal toilet.