Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman Necropolis Beneath New Hospital Site

Archaeologists carrying out a “preventative” dig in Romania ahead of constructing a new hospital have uncovered 34 graves (per CNN), most of which contain a multitude of funerary objects, which date back to the Roman period.

The graves, which date back to the third and fourth centuries B.C., were discovered in modern-day Constanța, formerly the ancient city of Tomis. Tomis ultimately fell to the Roman Empire in 29 B.C. The new hospital is set to be constructed upon the perimeter of the ancient city’s imperial-era necropolis, an area in which heritage laws require a preemptive archaeological survey before any modern construction may commence.

During excavations held between September 2025 and February 2026, multiple burials were unearthed at the site. The most common type of burial uncovered was catacomb-style burials in which the deceased were stored on top of one another on multiple levels of the mausoleum. Most of the 34 graves contained funerary tokens such as jewelry, glass vessels, coins, and a large amphora native to North Africa.

Funerary Items Were Found Within the Tombs

Two exceptionally valuable and rare items were also discovered during the digs. The first is a slab of granite bearing a Greek-language inscription, which serves as definitive evidence that Tomis was home to a powerful religious association during the third century. The second was an umbo, which is the central decorative element of a parade shield. Umbos were extremely rare during this time in history, and its presence here indicates the presence of “military or prestige panoply elements” within ceremonial burials.

According to preliminary analyses, the inscription belongs to either a fragment of a sarcophagus or a funerary marker dating back to the third century. Experts believe that it could have been reused in later years as a piece of building material for the necropolis. The inscription begins with a dedication to the good health and perseverance of the emperor before going on to refer to the “association” of a deity whose name has been lost to time. However, the names of other “association” members — such as Dionysylion, son of Valens; Aurelius Ataes of Kor; Aurelius Ka[…]; and another Aurelius — remain intact.

The excavations in Copenhagen Harbor have been underway since 2020. The archaeological work is expected to finish by spring 2026, with all discoveries being photographed and later scanned in 3D. You can check out the Viking Ship Museum for more information.