Byzantine Infant Remains Uncovered in Ephesus


VIENNA, Austria – The remains of two newborn babies have been discovered in a public toilet in the ancient city of Ephesus in Anatolia. la brujula verde Report. The latrine was located in the Odeon, within the city’s Artemis sanctuary, a venue for musical and poetry performances. This small tomb made of bricks and stones is said to be of the eighth or ninth century. AdvertisementAfter Odeon was abandoned. Analysis of the remains suggests that the infants died shortly before or after birth, and were likely twins. “In ancient societies, the burial place of very young children was usually separate from the burial place of adults because of their different social status,” said Caroline Partiot of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He added, “That is why it is common to find their graves in places that were not originally intended for that purpose, such as under house floors or in wells.” Yet in the burial shroud of the twins was placed an iron object, perhaps a needle used to sew burial clothes. Partiot said, “When the pregnancy was unwanted, treatment of the body was usually brief or non-existent.” “However, at Odeon, we find a burial that displays all the characteristics of a generalized grave, suggesting special care by the family and the impact that the deaths of these children had on the community,” she explained. Read the original scholarly article about this research in the journal childhood in the past. To read more about the archeology at the site, visit “Mystery of the Seven Wonders: Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

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