Ephesus Twin Infant Tomb Reveals Rare Cervical Rib

Archaeologists working in Ephesus, Turkey, uncovered a stone‑lined tomb inside the abandoned latrine of a Roman odeon near the Temple of Artemis. The burial, dated to roughly 1,200 years ago in the Byzantine period, contained two premature infants placed side by side.

Researchers Lilli Zabrana and Caroline Partiot of the Austrian Academy of Sciences noted that one skeleton possesses a rare supranumerary cervical rib, an anatomical variation linked to embryonic development. The unusual location of the tomb suggests possible religious restrictions on burial before baptism, prompting the family to use the former latrine for a dignified interment. The findings were published in the journal *Childhood in the Past*, and DNA analysis is planned to confirm whether the infants were twins.