New Orleans couple find 1,900-year-old Roman gravestone in backyard
A nearly 2,000-year-old Roman gravestone was discovered beneath a New Orleans backyard. This ancient artifact had been missing from an Italian museum since World War II. Scholars identified the stone and initiated its return through international collaboration. The FBI and Italian authorities facilitated the artifact's journey back to Italy. This significant piece of history is now prepared for…
A New Orleans couple discovered a remarkable artifact hidden in their backyard—a marble gravestone dating back nearly 2,000 years. The ancient Roman stone, bearing the inscription of Sextus Congenius Verus, a sailor from the Praetorian fleet, was initially unearthed in 1866 near the ancient port city of Centumcellae, now Civitavecchia, Italy.
In 1943, the gravestone vanished from its home in the city's museum during World War II. Rediscovered in March 2025 by Tulane University anthropologist Daniella Santoro and her husband Aaron Lorenz, the gravestone's journey back to Italy began when Professor Susann S. Lusnia identified the ancient Latin script. The artifact was traced back to its origins, leading to collaboration between the FBI Art Crime Team, the Italian Consulate General, the Carabinieri Command for Cultural Heritage Protection, and judicial authorities for the stone's safe return.
In April 2026, the gravestone was handed back to Italy, to be displayed in its rightful place at the National Archeological Museum of Civitavecchia as part of its 3,000-year history.
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