Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – In 1929, Austrian archaeologist Josef Keil and his group uncovered a water-filled sarcophagus within the ruins of the “Octagon,” a grand construction on Ephesos’s (Ephesus’s) essential avenue in Turkey. Though no vital grave items have been discovered, they did uncover an entire skeleton.
Keil took solely the cranium for additional examine earlier than resealing the tomb on Curetes Road. His preliminary evaluation in Greifswald, Germany, advised it belonged to “a really distinguished individual,” seemingly a 20-year-old girl. With out concrete proof, he transported the cranium to Vienna upon becoming a member of the College of Vienna.
In 1953, Josef Weninger from the College of Vienna’s Institute of Anthropology revealed an article with detailed pictures and measurements. He concluded that the cranium was from a younger girl of “refined” options, presumably indicating aristocratic lineage from antiquity.
Later excavations in Ephesos in 1982 revealed extra skeletal stays not throughout the sarcophagus however somewhat in an antechamber area of interest. The architectural model of the Octagon advised influences from Egypt’s Pharos of Alexandria, and historic accounts famous Arsinoë IV’s homicide in Ephesos round 41 BCE at Mark Antony’s behest—resulting in hypothesis that she could be interred there.
A latest interdisciplinary examine led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber on the College of Vienna and consultants from the Austrian Academy of Sciences has supplied new insights into this archaeological discover. Whereas it was lengthy thought these might be Arsinoë IV’s stays—Cleopatra’s sister—the newest analyses point out in any other case. The bones belong to a boy aged between 11 and 14 who had pathological developmental issues, with genetic markers suggesting origins from Italy or Sardinia.
The skull from the Octagon in Ephesos. Credit score: Scientific Reviews (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83870-x
The cranium has been dated to a interval between 36 and 205 BCE, aligning carefully with the normal date of Arsinoë IV’s dying in 41 BCE. Genetic evaluation confirmed a match between the cranium and current femur samples. Consequently, it has been decided that the skeleton found within the anteroom of the Octagon is certainly from the identical particular person because the cranium that Josef Keil extracted from the sarcophagus in 1929.
“However then got here the massive shock: in repeated assessments, the cranium and femur each clearly confirmed the presence of a Y chromosome—in different phrases, a male,” explains Gerhard Weber.
Bucco-occlusal view of the higher M1 and P3 nonetheless in situ. Whereas the later erupting first premolar already exhibits vital put on on the buccal cusp, the primary molar shows completely no indicators of use. Credit score: Scientific Reviews (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83870-x
The morphological and micro-CT information confirmed the boy from the Octagon was round 11 to 14 years outdated, nonetheless in puberty. Excessive-resolution pictures of his dental roots and growing cranium base verify this. Nevertheless, he had irregular improvement; one cranial suture, normally fusing at age 65, was already closed, inflicting an asymmetrical cranium form.
Probably the most notable attribute noticed was the underdeveloped higher jaw, which was unusually angled downwards, seemingly inflicting vital chewing difficulties. That is additional supported by the distinct angles of the temporomandibular joints and dental findings displaying solely two enamel remaining within the jaw.
Historical ruins at Ephesus. Credit score: Pixabay – DebraJean – Public Domain
Curiously, the primary everlasting molar—usually the longest-used tooth in everlasting dentition—confirmed no indicators of damage. In distinction, the primary premolar, which emerges later in life, was worn down with seen cracks as a consequence of possible overuse.
Researchers have concluded that there was a scarcity of normal tooth contact as a consequence of facial and jaw development anomalies. The precise trigger of those development issues stays unsure; prospects embody vitamin D deficiency or genetic syndromes like Treacher Collins syndrome that produce related appearances to that of this particular person from the Octagon.
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It has been decided that it wasn’t Cleopatra’s sister buried in Ephesos’ Octagon however somewhat a younger Roman male with developmental issues.
The explanation behind Egyptian architectural influences on this construction stays unresolved; nonetheless, it’s evident that this tomb was supposed for somebody of excessive social standing. These findings pave the best way for intriguing new analysis alternatives and permit for renewed efforts to find Arsinoë IV’s stays with out being clouded by earlier speculations.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Workers Author
