A sarcophagus of the VI century was discovered in the south-east of Spain

In the Spanish municipality of Mula, which is part of the province of Murcia, a Visigothic sarcophagus decorated with patterns in the form of concentric curls was discovered. The length is about two meters, the lid has a pointed shape. At one end, in the place where the head of the deceased was located, there is a chrysma - a monogram of the name of Christ, consisting of two crossed letters of the Greek alphabet: X (chi) and R (ro). The artifact is dated to the VI century, is the only such sarcophagus found in the south-eastern part of Spain.

For fifteen hundred years, the sarcophagus was located on the territory of the Roman villa Los Villaricos, built in the I century on the left bank of the Mula River. This is one of the largest ancient Roman estates preserved in Murcia – an area known for its rich natural resources. In the III century, the villa was expanded, and by the end of the V century, it was already abandoned due to the occupation of the territory of Spain by the Visigoths. Those residents who stayed to live here turned the complex into a place of Christian worship, part of the structure was used as a burial room.

As a result, the villa turned into a necropolis with tombs of the V–VII centuries, most of which are quite modest, stone-lined tombs. Sometimes fragments of tiles and ceramics were used to decorate the graves. Therefore, the discovery of such a sarcophagus was a surprise for researchers. Under the lid rested the remains of a man, which were withdrawn for further study. The sarcophagus is planned to be displayed in the Museum of Ciudad de Mula.