A sarcophagus said to date from the Roman era was discovered on the beach near Varna

A man discovered an antique sarcophagus on the beach in Varna, the Ministry of Interior reported on July 24.

Yesterday afternoon, a former law enforcement officer reported to the fifth district police station in Varna about an antique sarcophagus he had spotted on the beach in the resort of St. Constantine and Helena.

The site was inspected in the presence of specialists from the Archaeological Museum in Varna and a representative of the regional structure of the DG "Inspectorate for Cultural Heritage Protection" at the Ministry of Culture.

According to the opinion of the experts at the initial inspection, the sarcophagus without a lid, is from the Roman era, with rich relief decoration, probably from the period of the II-III century AD. It is approximately 90 x 235 x 75 cm.

Its four sides are decorated with characteristic relief stylised ornaments - garlands with hanging bunches, animal heads, rosettes, labris /double-edged axe/, etc.

With the help of the staff of the Regional Department for Fire Safety and Civil Protection and heavy equipment, the artefact was transported to the Archaeological Museum in Varna for storage, where expert examinations are to be carried out. The case has been reported to the prosecutor.