Well-Preserved Visigoth Sarcophagus Found at Roman Villa in Spain

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Researchers excavating Roman ruins at Los Villaricos in southern Spain have discovered a well-preserved coffin adorned with geometric patterns and interlocking ivy leaves. As local news outlet Murcia Today reports, the sarcophagus likely dates to the sixth century C.E., when the Visigoths, among other Germanic tribes, invaded territories formerly held by the fallen Roman Empire.

Archaeologists from the University of Murcia found the 6.5-foot-long coffin during a summer dig at Los Villaricos, a large-scale agricultural settlement established by the Romans around the first century C.E.
Per Heritage Daily, the sarcophagus was buried at a Roman villa repurposed by the Visigoths following its abandonment around the fifth century C.E. The Germanic conquerors used the structure’s central patio area as a necropolis.

According to Murcia Today, the team spotted a Chi Rho symbol carved on the top of the coffin. As Philip Kosloki explains for Aleteia, the monogram—also known as a Christogram—superimposes the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ: chi (X) and rho (P). It represents Jesus, or more specifically, his resurrection. The Roman emperor Constantine reportedly adopted the Chi-Rho symbol as a military standard after experiencing a vision while praying. Eventually, it became part of an official imperial emblem. The monogram also appears in many early Christian artworks.

Los Villaricos, for its part, was built along a trade route between Carthage and Complutum, a village northeast of Madrid, reports the Times. At its height, the ancient settlement relied heavily on agriculture, producing and storing olive oil, among other goods. The town went through a series of renovations during the Romans’ occupation of the region. After the Romans abandoned the area, the Visigoths moved in, seizing control and repurposing many Roman structures, including the villa in Los Villaricos.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-find-1500-year-old-visigoth-coffin-spain-180978294/