2,000-year-old Roman tombstone found in New Orleans backyard

A surprising discovery was made in a New Orleans backyard when a couple unearthed a stone slab with Latin inscriptions while clearing weeds. Initially fearing their home was built over a cemetery, Daniella Santoro and Aaron Lorenz soon learned they had found a significant piece of history.

Anthropologist Dr. Ryan Gray, from Tulane University, was consulted and brought in experts, including Professor Harald Stadler and Dr. Susann S. Lusnia. They identified the artifact as a Roman funerary marker from the 2nd century, belonging to Sextus Congenius Verus, a soldier in the Praetorian fleet. The inscription details his life, service, and mentions his heirs who commissioned the marker.

Further investigation revealed the stone matched the description of an artifact that had disappeared from a museum in Civitavecchia, Italy, after World War II. The specialists agreed on the stone's return to Italy, initiating a complex international repatriation process.

The FBI's Art Crime Team took custody of the artifact to facilitate its transfer. On April 29, the stone was returned to Italy along with other historical relics. Museum officials in Civitavecchia are preparing to exhibit the piece, bringing a piece of Roman history back to its origin.