MOSCOW, July 24 A vacationer in the Bulgarian resort town of Varna discovered an unattended object on the beach, which turned out to be an ancient Roman sarcophagus, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reports.
After the report of the discovery, law enforcement officers arrived at the beach and examined the object in the presence of specialists from the Archaeological Museum in Varna and a regional representative of the Main Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture.
According to the initial conclusion of experts, the sarcophagus without a lid with rich relief decoration dates back to the Roman era, probably to the period of the 2nd-3rd century AD. Its approximate dimensions are 90x235x75 cm. The four sides of the sarcophagus are decorated with characteristic relief stylized ornaments — garlands with hanging bunches of grapes, animal heads, rosettes and an image of a labrys (a double-sided battle axe).
With the help of heavy equipment, the artifact was transported for storage to the Varna Archaeological Museum, where a more thorough examination will be scheduled.
The case has been transferred to the city's district prosecutor's office, and pre-trial proceedings have been initiated.
The newspaper «24 Hours» writes that, presumably, the sarcophagus was intended for the interior of an apartment. As noted, there is a completed but not yet inhabited residential complex located near the beach.
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