Rare Byzantine Burial Uncovered Near Temple of Artemis
Archaeologists excavating a 1,200-year-old tomb near the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Turkey have uncovered the rare burial of premature infants, who were probably twins, placed inside an abandoned Roman latrine channel. According to a study published July 13 in the journal Childhood in the Past, researchers identified two tiny skeletons buried side by side in a stone-lined cist grave that dates back to the middle Byzantine era between the eighth and ninth centuries.
An Exceptional Setting Within Ancient Ruins
According to study co-author Lilli Zabrana, an archaeologist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the interment took place in an unexpected and exceptional setting.
While previous burials discovered at Ephesus occupied a dedicated cemetery outside the ancient temple boundaries, this grave was placed within an abandoned latrine channel. The channel was originally built during the second or third century as a later addition to a first-century Roman odeum—a building used for musical performances—situated within the sacred area of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Premature Birth and Skeletal Analysis
When excavators opened the cist grave, they found two infant skeletons buried in direct contact with one another. Based on bone measurements, co-author and bioarchaeologist Caroline Partiot estimated the infants were born prematurely at around 33 to 34 gestational weeks, roughly 7.5 months in utero. Full-term human pregnancies typically last between 39 and 40 weeks.
While the similar ages at death and close physical contact strongly indicate the infants were twins, Partiot noted that confirmation will require future DNA analyses.
Hereditary Anomalies and Archaeological Firsts
Examination of the remains revealed a rare hereditary trait known as a supernumerary cervical rib in one of the infants. This anomaly involves an extra rib bone forming at the back of the neck, occurring in about 1% of people and typically causing no health problems.
However, Partiot’s previous research links cervical ribs in infants to anomalies in Hox genes—genes that code for specific body parts during embryonic development—which can correlate with stillbirth, prematurity, or sudden infant death. According to the researchers, no prior cases of twins with cervical ribs have been documented in an archaeological context.
Ritual Compromise and Millennium-Long Preservation
The researchers propose that the unusual burial location stemmed from the infants dying prematurely before receiving baptism. The tomb likely represents a practical compromise between Christian burial practices and local customs of the period.
Although records show both infant and maternal mortality were high at the time, the team found no evidence of the twins’ mother nearby or in the wider Ephesus cemetery. The sturdy cist grave protected the skeletons for more than a millennium.
Zabrana stated that this preservation indicates a respectful burial rather than a disposal of human remains, reflecting a family’s intention to care for the infants in death and acknowledge their brief presence within the community.