A strange table in a beach bar in Bulgaria turned out to be a 1700-year-old Roman coffin. Photo

A 1700-year-old Roman sarcophagus was discovered in a tourist beach bar in Bulgaria. For at least four years, the valuable artifact was used as a table for visitors.

The Roman coffin was noticed by a former policeman who visited a beach bar on the beach during his vacation. He thought the table was strange, so he notified local authorities, who engaged archaeologists to check whether the bar's interior was a historical artifact, the DailyMail reports.

The ancient stone coffin had garlands, animal images, and a labrys, better known as an axe, on its sides. The top of the sarcophagus was replaced with a stone slab that served as a bar for customers.

Archaeologists have confirmed that this is in fact an ancient Roman limestone coffin. However, it remains unclear where the sarcophagus came from, as archaeologists noted that the design style is not typical of other Roman artifacts found in Varna. Presumably, it was brought from another region of Bulgaria.

Archaeologist Alexander Minchev and his team from the Regional Historical Museum of Bulgaria have determined that the original structure of the sarcophagus stone and its interior date back to the second century AD.

The authorities referred the case to the Varna District Prosecutor's Office, which opened a pre-trial investigation to find out how the sarcophagus ended up on the beach and why it was repurposed as a bar.

Roman artifacts are often trafficked in Bulgaria. Police seized 4,600 archaeological items that were brought to the UK from Bulgaria in 2020.

Among the valuables: urns, lamps, arrowheads and ancient coins that came from military camps that were once located in northern Bulgaria.

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