A couple in New Orleans has discovered a 1,900-year-old Roman grave marker in their garden, sparking efforts to return it to Italy. The headstone, dedicated to a Roman sailor named Sextus Congenius Verus, was found by Tulane University anthropologist Daniella Santoro and her husband Aaron Lorenz while clearing undergrowth at their home.
Experts identified the inscription as Latin and traced the stone to the city museum of Civitavecchia, Italy, where it had been reported missing. The couple contacted the FBI's art crime team to facilitate repatriation. The stone likely arrived in New Orleans after World War II, possibly amidst the chaos of war, but its exact journey remains unclear.
Research suggests the tombstone may have been lost when the Civitavecchia museum was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1943-44. It is also possible that it was sold by an antique dealer to a tourist after the war, as there were no strict regulations on such sales at the time.
The couple's home was previously owned by the Simon family, but investigators believe they were unlikely to have taken the stone. A neighbour who served in the US Navy during the war was considered but ruled out as he only served in the Pacific. The mystery of how the relic ended up in New Orleans remains unsolved.
