Grave markers from Roman troopers reused in later tombs have been found close to Svishtov, northern Bulgaria. They had been found accidentally when a tree was uprooted on personal property, revealing historical graves. The following rescue excavation uncovered two cyst graves made out of limestone slabs, one brick and stone chamber grave and one pit grave, all inhumations, and one cremation burial.
The location proved to be the Western necropolis of the Roman army camp of Novae. Situated on the fitting financial institution of the Danube, Novae was one of many key fortresses defending the Moesian Limes (the northern frontier of the province of Moesia). It was constructed round 45 A.D. and housed the Legio VIII Augusta till they had been changed by Vespasian with Legio I Italica in 70 A.D. Legio I Italica garrisoned Novae for the following 350 years at the very least.
Each of the cyst graves function funerary markers reused as constructing materials. One in all them incorporates the partially preserved tombstone of Legio I Italica centurion Gaius Valerius Verecundus was engraved with a wreath of which solely traces stay and an inscription that describes him as having been “closely pressed by destiny.” It was positioned in the back of the rectangle on its facet. One other tombstone within the cyst belonged to Legio I Italica veteran Marcus Marius Patroclus from Iconium in Asia Minor, as we speak town of Konya in Turkey. His funerary marker is engraved with depictions of signa, or army requirements. One of many slabs used to type a roof is the tombstone of Aelia Basilia erected by her brother Publius Aelius Bassus, additionally a Legio I veteran. The epitaph describes her as a “most virtuous sister” (soror pientissima).
The second cyst grave has in all probability the best-preserved of the reused funerary markers. Its japanese wall consists of the tombstone of Gaius Alpinius Second, son of Gaius, hailing from Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (present-day Cologne, Germany). He was a soldier within the Legio XI Claudia. The western roof slab is fragmentary, however the surviving a part of the epitaph commemorates a veteran who served within the legions for 25 years and died at age 60.
All the graves date to the 2nd/third century and had been looted in antiquity leaving solely a smattering of artifacts behind, together with a bone needle, two bronze fibulae and a fraction of a spindle whorl. The skeletal stays had been jumbled by the interference within the grave, however they are going to be examined by an anthropologist. The inscriptions are additionally nonetheless being studied to allow them to be totally recorded, translated and analyzed.
