Two babies were found carefully buried in an abandoned Roman latrine

The burial site was discovered in an odeon — a Roman building designed for musical performances, shows and public gatherings.

The structure was built in Ephesus in the 1st century AD. About a century later, a public latrine was added to it.

Following a major fire, the building ceased to be used for its original purpose. In the centuries that followed, fragments of pottery and animal offal were dumped there.

The infants were buried much later — presumably in the 8th–9th centuries, by which time the latrine had not been in use for several centuries. However, its underground channel remained intact and provided shelter for the grave.

The children were laid side by side and were probably wrapped in shrouds

A small stone grave was constructed inside the channel. It was lined with slabs and stones, and soil was brought in from elsewhere to form the base.

The remains of the two infants lay side by side.

Details

The organisation of the burial points to a carefully prepared funeral rite.

Archaeologist Lilly Zabran of the Austrian Archaeological Institute noted that even during the excavations it was clear that this was not simply a case of disposing of the bodies, but a deliberately arranged place of rest.

Measurements of the hand bones showed that both children were at roughly the same stage of development.

Researchers suggest that the children were born around six weeks prematurely or died immediately before birth. It is impossible to determine with certainty from the remains whether they were born alive.

The similarity in age and size, as well as the fact that they were buried together, has led scientists to hypothesise that the infants may have been twins.

However, the genetic relationship between the children has not yet been confirmed, so the authors of the study refer only to possible twins.

Among the remains, the researchers discovered a tiny extra rib, approximately five millimetres long, extending from a cervical vertebra.

This anatomical feature is known as a cervical rib. According to the scientists, this is only the second known instance of such a structure being found in an infant from an archaeological burial.

In adults, a cervical rib often does not cause any serious problems. However, in infants, its presence is sometimes linked to intrauterine developmental abnormalities and an increased risk of stillbirth.

That said, the scientists do not claim that this particular feature was the cause of the child’s death.

Why the children were not buried in a cemetery

The exact reason for choosing this unusual location remains unknown.

During the Middle Byzantine period in Ephesus, the right to be buried on consecrated ground was usually reserved for baptised individuals. Infants were often not baptised until several weeks after birth; consequently, prematurely born children may not have had time to undergo the rite.

The authors also point out that the odeon was situated within the boundaries of the ancient sanctuary of Artemis. It is possible that this area continued to hold spiritual significance even centuries after the cessation of pagan cults.

However, archaeologists are unable to confirm the motives of the parents or others who arranged the burial.

An unusual location has preserved the grave

Burials of infants are relatively rarely preserved in the archaeological record. Children’s bones are very fragile, and small graves are easily destroyed or go unnoticed.

In this case, the channel of a former latrine protected the remains from damage and subsequent burials.

According to the authors of the study, the find shows that the unusual location of the grave does not necessarily indicate a disrespectful attitude towards the deceased.

On the contrary, the arrangement of the burial suggests that the two vulnerable children were laid to rest with care, and that every effort was made to provide them with a safe place of rest.

Source

Study: Caroline Partiot et al. ‘Peace in Unexpected Places: The Middle Byzantine Burial of Two Perinates, Possibly Twins, in a Latrine Canal of the Odeion in the Artemision of Ephesos’. *Childhood in the Past*, 2026.