Archaeologists discovered the remains of a man inside a large storage vessel—a dolium—at the site of the ancient Roman city of Deultum in southeastern Bulgaria. Scientists presume that he may have climbed inside it to escape an attack. Live Science reports this, UNN writes.
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Two iron knives and a belt were found next to the man. One knife remained tucked into the belt, while the second lay between his legs, as if the man had been ready to defend himself.
In the 4th–5th centuries, the Romans in Deultum confronted East Germanic tribes and the Huns. Around the dolium that was found, archaeologists discovered traces of a large-scale fire—ash, charcoal, blackened walls, melted glass, coins, and the burned bones of domestic animals.
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Archaeologist Lyudmil Vagalinski of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences presumes that, before the attack, residents may have driven livestock inside the fortifications. Since a layer of ash also lay beneath the man's remains, he likely hid in the vessel after the fire had already begun.
After the attack, the city's residents dismantled and leveled the ruins of the tower, then arranged a new, higher floor level above them. It was beneath this floor that the man's remains were preserved for about 1,600 years.