Deultum archaeologists find 1,600-year-old Roman skeleton in jar

Archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered the 1,600-year-old skeleton of a young Roman man hidden inside a large ceramic storage jar, known as a dolium or pitos, in the ancient city of Deultum.

The remains were found on August 10 within a defensive tower at the city's western gate. The individual was discovered in a contorted position, crouched with knees pressed to the chin. Researchers found two iron knives with the body, though they noted the individual did not appear to be a warrior.

Lead excavator Lyudmil Vagalinski of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences suggests the man likely died of suffocation during an invasion. Evidence of fire, including blackened walls and charred animal bones, suggests the city was being burned by invading Germanic or Hunnic forces around 400 AD. The tower was subsequently demolished and covered by a new floor, concealing the jar for sixteen centuries.