Couple Finds Ancient Roman Artifact in New Orleans Backyard
A couple in New Orleans discovered an intriguing Roman artifact in their backyard recently, and authorities now understand how it got there.
The Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans (PRCNO) revealed the story on October 6th, recounting how a simple gardening project turned into an international revelation.
In March, Daniela Santoro and Aaron Lorenz were clearing some underbrush from a historic home in Carrollton when they stumbled upon a marble slab inscribed in Latin.
A photograph of the stone shows it partially covered by weeds and dead leaves. Santoro, who works as an anthropologist at Tulane University, quickly reached out to local officials.
A range of specialists, from university professors to experts from the FBI’s art crimes unit, helped to decode the Latin inscriptions.
The marble artifact belonged to an ancient Roman sailor named Sextus Congenius Verus.
This inscription had disappeared from a museum in Civitavecchia, Italy, which is located about 55 miles north of Rome.
Eventually, the news got back to Erin Scott O’Brien, the previous owner of the Carrollton property, who was astonished to learn about it.
She had actually placed the stone in her yard back in 2004.
“We planted a tree and thought of it as a fresh start, so we decided to put it in the garden,” O’Brien shared.
The stone originally belonged to O’Brien’s grandparents, Charles and Adele Paddock, who passed away in the 1980s.
Charles Paddock had served in Italy during World War II and it’s thought that he and his wife might have brought the artifact back with them after the war. Interestingly, the museum suffered damage due to Allied bombing in the mid-1940s.
How exactly the Paddocks obtained the stone remains unclear, but it is currently in FBI custody and will be returned to Italy.
Susan Lusnia, a Tulane professor who worked on identifying the artifacts, recently visited the museum in Civitavecchia to aid in the repatriation process.
“It’s incredible,” O’Brien commented. “It’s wonderful that it’s going back home where it belongs.”
Daniel Monteverde, editor at Preservation in Print, remarked to Fox News Digital that this story is among the most unusual he has encountered in his two decades of reporting in the area.
“This city has a rich history, so surprises are rare,” he noted. “But this one stands out. When it landed on my desk, sharing it was a no-brainer.”
He also expressed relief that the artifact was found by someone knowledgeable enough to recognize its significance and ensure it was handled appropriately, ultimately allowing it to be returned to its rightful home.
