1,200-year-old sarcophagus unearthed near French theater — and was packed with bones

Several stone sarcophagi were among the dozens of medieval-era graves recently unearthed in France.

The centuries-old burials were found during excavations near a theater in Dijon, about a 200 mile-drive southeast of Paris, according to a March 15 news release from the Ministry of Culture.

The Dijon theater was originally constructed as a church in the 15th century on the site of an older funerary basilica, which is mentioned in sixth century texts.

During the early Middle Ages, Dijon was a fortified town that, following the Roman tradition, had necropolises situated outside the walls — near the site of the church.

The uncovered sarcophagi, trapezoidal in shape and made of sandstone, are believed to date to between the sixth and eighth centuries A.D., making them at least 1,200 years old.

A limestone sarcophagus with a rectangular shape was also unearthed, likely dating even further back to between the fourth and fifth centuries. Inside of it were three skeletons, indicating it was used for multiple burials.

Further analyses will be carried out to date the skeletons, officials said.

Also discovered at the site were numerous tombs made from stone slabs and filled with the remains of children.

These graves are characteristic of burials from the period between the 11th and 13th centuries, officials said.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the French Ministry of Culture.

This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 5:43 PM with the headline "1,200-year-old sarcophagus unearthed near French theater — and was packed with bones."