The Portonaccio Sarcophagus

Odds and Sods

It is strange to think that this sarcophagus is eighteen hundred years old, so vivid are the carvings on its sides. Who was buried inside is unknown, but there are facts that can be gleaned from the study of the ornate sculpting.

Housed in the National Museum of Rome, the sarcophagus is displayed in a darkened room under spotlights which show its decorative figures beautifully. It was discovered in 1931 near Via Tiburtina, in the eastern suburbs of Rome.