Female body discovered in centuries-old tomb

ÇORUM - Anadolu Agency

The tomb, which dates back t 1,900 years ago, has been unearthed during an illegal excavation in Çorum’s Sungurlu district. The tomb cover were broken by smugglers who wanted to enter it.

An illegal excavation in the northern Anatolian province of Çorum’s Sungurlu district has unearthed a 1,900-year-old tomb.The tomb has been removed from the excavation area by archaeologists and moved into the Çorum Museum for display.The tumulus in Turgutlu village, where the tomb was found, was illegally excavated in 2012 before the region was registered as a first-degree archaeological area, said Gov. Sabri Başköy, adding that some public officials were involved in the illegal excavations.A new illegal excavation was also carried out on the tumulus in March this year, the governor said, adding that they were informed that the tomb was unearthed during this excavation.“The tomb adds a value to Çorum’s underground richness. It is the largest tomb found in the province. We hope that it will contribute to the promotion of Çorum,” he said.Examinations showed that the tomb dated from 96-98 A.D., Başköy said, adding that those involved in the illegal excavations were being investigated.Başköy said they were certain the tomb was 1,900 years old. “We believe that there was a female body inside the tomb. It was sent to Ankara for tests. The gender and age of the body will be identified,” he said.Speaking about the features of the tomb, Çorum Museum Director Önder İpek said: “The tomb cover is 240 centimeters. It is 120 centimeters in width and 58 centimeter in height. The two long sides of the tomb cover were broken by smugglers who wanted to enter it. One of the acroteria was also broken. Some pieces of this acroterion were found by experts and attached to their place by the conservator of the museum. Eros, the god of love in Greek mythology, is embroidered on the surface of the tomb. The head of Eros received damage because of smugglers.”In addition to the pieces of human skeleton, a silver coin, a gold earring and a ring were also found inside the tomb, İpek said.