In 1929, in the ruins of Ephesus (Türkiye), a discovery intriguing: a skull found in the once magnificent Octagon. For decades, there was speculation that it could belong to Arsinoe IV, sister of Cleopatra. However, a recent analysis with advanced techniques revealed that it belonged to a male between 11 and 14 years old with a pathological development.
A study published in Scientific Reports by a multidisciplinary team led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber of the University of Vienna examined this skull. The genetic analyzes carried out point to an Italian origin, completely denying the initial theories about Arsinoe IV.
The archaeologist Josef Keil was the one who discovered the sarcophagus in which the complete skeleton was found, submerged in water. Keil extracted only the skull and, after a preliminary analysis, attributed it to a young and distinguished woman, a conclusion that seemed confirmed by studies from 1953. Decades later, in 1990, the hypothesis arose that that tomb in Ephesus could have been the final place of Arsinoe IV, murdered in 41 BC, which fueled endless reports and theories.
The recent examination of the skull, carried out by geneticists, dating specialists, orthodontists and archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, placed its origin between 36 and 205 BC. Curiously, this dating coincides with the period attributed to Arsinoe IV. Additionally, geneticists found a relationship between genetic samples from the skull and a femur recovered in 1982.
Repeated tests performed on the skull and femur showed “clearly the presence of a Y chromosome, that is, of a male,” Weber explained. Morphological evaluation of the skull, micro-CT scan data, and high-resolution images of tooth roots revealed that the Octagon boy was still in puberty and between 11 and 14 years old.
The child suffered from a general pathological development with one of the cranial sutures, which normally fuses at the age of 65, already closed, which gave the skull a very asymmetrical shape.
The most striking feature was the underdevelopment of the upper jaw, which was unusually inclined downwards and presumably caused great problems when chewing, as the dental remains also indicate.
“Now it is clear that it was not the sister of Cleopatra who was buried in the Octagon of Ephesus, but a young man with developmental disorders who was presumably Roman,” indicates the University of Vienna.
The reason for the architectural references to Egypt in that building remains unknown, but it is clear – he adds – that the tomb was intended for a person of very high social status.
