A New Orleans couple's backyard gardening project led to an international archaeological sensation. Daniella Santoro, a Tulane University anthropologist, was clearing away weeds when she stumbled upon a marble tablet etched with Latin text. As news of the discovery spread, officials from the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans confirmed that the stone had been missing from an Italian museum for decades.
The artifact, inscribed with the name Sextus Congenius Verus, is believed to be a 2,000-year-old Roman funerary relic honoring a sailor. The previous owners of the stone were Erin Scott O'Brien's grandparents, Charles and Adele Paddock, who had purchased it from an Italian museum in Civitavecchia, Italy, before World War II.
According to O'Brien, she and her husband had placed the slab in their garden as part of a landscaping project. When asked if she realized what they had unearthed, she replied, "I just thought it was a piece of art." The artifact's repatriation has sparked international attention, with experts hailing it as one of the most unique stories in recent New Orleans history.
The FBI is currently holding custody of the relic, which will be returned to Italy. Preservation in Print editor Daniel Monteverde described the discovery as "a no-brainer" for his publication, noting that it was a great story to share due to its historical significance and uniqueness.
The artifact, inscribed with the name Sextus Congenius Verus, is believed to be a 2,000-year-old Roman funerary relic honoring a sailor. The previous owners of the stone were Erin Scott O'Brien's grandparents, Charles and Adele Paddock, who had purchased it from an Italian museum in Civitavecchia, Italy, before World War II.
According to O'Brien, she and her husband had placed the slab in their garden as part of a landscaping project. When asked if she realized what they had unearthed, she replied, "I just thought it was a piece of art." The artifact's repatriation has sparked international attention, with experts hailing it as one of the most unique stories in recent New Orleans history.
The FBI is currently holding custody of the relic, which will be returned to Italy. Preservation in Print editor Daniel Monteverde described the discovery as "a no-brainer" for his publication, noting that it was a great story to share due to its historical significance and uniqueness.
. And I love how the previous owners had no idea what they were dealing with either, it's like the stone was hiding in plain sight 
. The whole story is just so fascinating, from the history behind the artifact to the international attention it's getting. It's amazing how something that was lost for decades can end up being rediscovered and repatriated 
. I'm curious to know more about the Sextus Congenius Verus legend - apparently it's a sailor-themed funerary relic, which sounds pretty cool 
.
. Can you imagine stumbling upon something that old in your yard? I mean, who needs weeds when you've got ancient history 
. But at the same time, I wonder what else is lurking in our gardens and yards that we don't know about... like, who knows if there are other ancient relics just waiting to be discovered? 
It's crazy how life has a way of surprising us, right? 
I've got a friend who lives in LA and she found an old VHS player in her garage that turned out to be super rare. She was able to sell it for a pretty penny! 
Anyway, back to the marble tablet... 2,000 years old is just mind-blowing. You feel like you're literally stepping into history when you hear stories like this 
the fact that they just thought it was a piece of art is just too funny 
i mean, what are the chances right? anyway, glad to see it getting repatriated to its rightful place in italy 
. And now everyone's making a big deal about it because... well, it's old and interesting, I guess 
. The fact that the FBI is holding onto it for so long is pretty weird too, I mean, can't they just send it back to Italy already? It's not like it's some valuable treasure or anything 
, and the O'Briens get to be internet famous 
.
Can't people just be responsible with other people's stuff for once? And Italy is gonna be so happy to get it back... about time too! 
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sextus Congenius Verus 
. The repatriation to Italy makes sense though, it's only right that this piece of history goes back to where it belongs. Fingers crossed everything gets sorted out smoothly 
