Uncovered in a New Orleans backyard, a 1,900-year-old Roman gravestone belonging to sailor Sextus Con Genius Verus has resurfaced after decades missing from an Italian museum, prompting a global conversation about cultural heritage, historical preservation, and the unexpected paths artifacts take.
What began as a routine spring cleanup in a New Orleans backyard transformed into an archaeological sensation when a family stumbled upon a 1,900-year-old Roman gravestone. This extraordinary discovery has not only captivated historians and the public alike but has also initiated an international effort to repatriate the ancient artifact to its rightful home in Italy.
The Unexpected Discovery in Carrollton
In March, while clearing an overgrown area in their Carrollton neighborhood backyard, Daniella Santoro, an anthropologist at Tulane University, and her husband, Aaron Lorenz, noticed a flat marble stone covered in vines. Their initial thought leaned towards a local burial marker, a common sight given New Orleans’ history of forgotten cemeteries built over by homes.
The Latin inscriptions on the slab immediately piqued Santoro’s interest. “The fact that it was in Latin that really just gave us pause, right?” Santoro recounted. “I mean, you see something like that and you say, ‘okay, this is not an ordinary thing.’” Intrigued and slightly alarmed, she reached out to her classical archaeologist colleague, Susann Lusnia, also of Tulane University, who quickly recognized the slab’s immense historical value.
Decoding Sextus Con Genius Verus: A Sailor’s Legacy
Lusnia’s expert eye confirmed that the marble slab was the grave marker of Sextus Con Genius Verus, a Roman sailor who died at age 42 after serving for more than two decades in the imperial navy. The inscription indicated he served on a ship named Asclepius, after the Roman god of medicine. He was hailed as “well deserving” by his “heirs,” who Lusnia suggests were likely shipmates, as Roman military personnel were prohibited from marrying at the time. Further details from the inscription indicate his service in the Praetorian Misenensis fleet and his origin from the Bessi tribe in Thrace (modern-day Bulgaria), adding layers to his fascinating backstory as a far-traveling soldier-sailor.
The gravestone’s dimensions—approximately 1 square foot (0.09 square meters) and 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick—matched historical records, providing irrefutable “DNA” evidence, as Lusnia described it, for its authenticity and identity. Such inscriptions are rare glimpses into the lives of ordinary Roman service members, offering a counter-narrative to the tales of emperors and generals.
From Ancient Cemetery to Wartime Chaos: The Stone’s Italian History
Lusnia’s diligent sleuthing uncovered the tablet’s documented history. It was originally part of an ancient cemetery with around 20 graves of military personnel, discovered in the 1860s in Civitavecchia, a seaside town in northwest Italy, approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Rome. Its text was recorded in 1910 and included in a catalog of Latin inscriptions, which already noted its whereabouts as unknown decades prior to its rediscovery.
The tablet was later documented at the National Archaeological Museum in Civitavecchia before World War II. However, the museum was “pretty much destroyed” during Allied bombing in 1943 or 1944. The museum staff later confirmed to Lusnia that the tablet had been missing for decades, a victim of the chaos and destruction of wartime Italy.
A Transatlantic Tale: How the Gravestone Reached New Orleans
The extraordinary journey of Sextus’s gravestone across the Atlantic began to unravel as media reports of the find circulated. Erin Scott O’Brien, the previous owner of Santoro’s home, recognized the marble hunk, which she had considered a “cool-ass piece of art” and used as a garden decoration before selling the house in 2018. She confirmed that she had received the tablet from her grandparents, an Italian woman and a New Orleans native who was stationed in Italy during World War II.
This personal account, reported by 4WWL, a CBS affiliate, provides a human connection to the artifact’s displacement. It illustrates how countless cultural treasures were inadvertently scattered worldwide during and after global conflicts, often brought home as “souvenirs” by soldiers amidst the tumultuous postwar years when export rules were lax.
The Call for Repatriation and Broader Implications
Upon confirming its authenticity and origin, Lusnia immediately recognized the need for repatriation. “My first reaction after the shock and amazement that we had a Roman inscription here in New Orleans was to say, ‘Well, it needs to go back to Civitavecchia,’” Lusnia told USA TODAY.
The FBI’s art crime unit is now in talks with Italian authorities to facilitate the tablet’s return. This effort aligns with international cultural heritage laws, such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which encourages countries to return cultural property removed illegally. Such instances underscore the critical role of these treaties in safeguarding global heritage, as detailed on the UNESCO website.
For Civitavecchia, the return of Sextus’s gravestone is a momentous occasion, with museum staff expressing immense excitement and planning a special display to honor its homecoming. This case serves as a powerful example of successful international cooperation in reclaiming historical artifacts.
Why Sextus’s Story Resonates Today
The rediscovery of Sextus Con Genius Verus’s gravestone is more than just an archaeological find; it’s a profound reminder of the Roman cultural emphasis on legacy. Grave markers were crucial for upholding the memories of individuals, even everyday citizens, ensuring their stories endured through time.
As Lusnia eloquently put it, “Now Sextus Con Genius Verus is being talked about so much. If there’s an afterlife and he’s in it and he knows, he’s very happy because this is what a Roman wants—to be remembered forever.” His story adds invaluable detail to our understanding of the Roman navy’s diverse ranks and daily life, connecting ancient history to a modern audience who can relate to themes of military service, global travel, and the unexpected twists of human history.
