Ancient Roman sarcophagus found on Bulgarian beach by tourist

A holidaymaker on the beach in Varna, Bulgaria, discovered a perfectly preserved sarcophagus from ancient Roman times. The sarcophagus dates back to the 2nd-3rd century AD, and the tourist stumbled upon it by chance. A more precise age of the find will be determined during research, which the Bulgarians have already planned.

While on holiday in Bulgaria, the tourist encountered a Roman sarcophagus on the northern Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea, near Varna.

The discovery was reported to local authorities, prompting a swift response from the Varna Archaeological Museum and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage Protection regional office at the Ministry of Culture, which are now studying it.

The discovery was made on Tuesday, 23 July, by a former police officer spending his holiday in the area. While enjoying the beach near a recently completed construction site, he came across the coffin and immediately contacted the local police.

A police patrol, along with archaeological specialists, is conducting a preliminary inspection and suspects that the item likely dates back to the Roman era, specifically from the 2nd century—according to Bulgarian national television, the 3rd century AD.

The casket features rich decoration with characteristic stylised adornments: garlands, leaves, grapes, and animal heads on all four sides. The casket measures approximately 89 x 236 x 76 cm.

Milen Marinov, an expert from the local history museum who is part of the team studying the sarcophagus, told BTA that they have started removing the paint from it.