Why Was This Ancient Roman Soldier's Gravestone Hidden in a Louisiana Backyard? Archaeologists Solved the Mystery—and Helped Return the Artifact to Italy
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An ancient Roman soldier's gravestone was discovered in a New Orleans backyard, leading to its repatriation to Italy. The gravestone, which belonged to a soldier named Sextus Congenius Verus, had been missing for decades from a museum in Civitavecchia. The return of the artifact was part of a larger ceremony that included over 300 other repatriated artifacts.
- ▪The gravestone was found by a couple while clearing weeds in their backyard.
- ▪It was made for a Roman soldier who died around the second century C.E.
- ▪The gravestone was missing from a museum in Italy for decades before its return.
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Cool Finds Why Was This Ancient Roman Soldier’s Gravestone Hidden in a Louisiana Backyard? Archaeologists Solved the Mystery—and Helped Return the Artifact to Italy The funerary marker, which surfaced on a New Orleans property last year, once belonged to a Roman soldier who died nearly 2,000 years ago. Officials repatriated the stone in a recent ceremony in Rome Ellen Wexler | Writer and Special Projects Editor May 19, 2026 2:30 p.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source The Roman funerary marker in the custody of FBI New Orleans in November 2025 FBI New Orleans A married couple was clearing weeds last year when they stumbled across a strange marble slab behind their New Orleans home.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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