Archaeologists have uncovered the carefully prepared twin burial of newborn children inside an abandoned Roman sewer at the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (Greek: Ἔφεσος) in modern-day Turkey. The unusual burial, found within the former sanctuary of Artemis, is offering new insight into how infants were treated during a period of major religious and social change.
Researchers discovered the burial at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Their study, published in the journal Childhood in the Past, shows that the children died shortly before, during, or soon after birth, a stage known as the perinatal period.
Although the burial was found inside a disused sewer beneath the Roman odeon, researchers said the grave showed the same care and planning seen in formal adult burials.
An unusual burial with signs of care
The grave was first uncovered during excavations in 2010. It was built from bricks and stones inside a drainage channel that had once served a public latrine with about 30 seats during the second and third centuries.
The odeon itself was constructed in the first century and was used for musical performances, plays, and poetry recitals. By the time the children were buried, however, the building had already been abandoned for centuries.
Archaeologists at ancient Ephesus uncovered a carefully built grave containing what were likely twin infants who died before birth. Far from being discarded, the babies were buried with care according to Byzantine Christian traditions. pic.twitter.com/41UwN2Wp4V
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 23, 2026
Study author Caroline Partiot, an anthropologist at the Austrian Archaeological Institute, said very young children in ancient societies were often buried separately from adults because they held a different social status. Their graves were commonly placed beneath house floors, inside wells or in other locations that were not intended as cemeteries.
However, the Ephesus grave stands apart. Despite its unusual location, it followed the same burial traditions normally reserved for adults. Researchers said this suggests the children were buried with respect rather than being rejected or abandoned.
Dating the forgotten grave
The age of the burial was initially unknown, making the discovery especially important because little is known about how the sanctuary of Artemis was used after it fell out of use.
Radiocarbon dating placed the grave in the eighth or ninth century, during the Early Middle Ages. According to archaeologist and co-author Lilli Zabrana, the findings confirm that the Artemision remained accessible centuries after its religious role had ended.
The site was eventually buried beneath 6 to 8 meters (20 to 26 feet) of river sediment during major floods in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The children were buried side by side with their heads facing west, a direction commonly associated with early Christian burials. Their body positions, the absence of grave goods, and the brick-lined cist all match known Byzantine burial customs in Ephesus.
Evidence points to twin infants
Researchers determined that both children died at about 33 to 34 weeks of pregnancy, before reaching full term. Their nearly identical body size and shared grave strongly suggest they were twins.
One of the infants had an extra cervical rib, a rare condition in which an additional rib develops in the neck. The condition has been linked to a higher risk of developmental disorders and miscarriage. Researchers said this is only the second documented example of the condition among perinatal human remains worldwide.
Signs on the skeletons indicate that both children were wrapped in burial shrouds before being laid to rest. An iron object found near one child’s head may have been a pin used to fasten the cloth. Researchers also found evidence that water entered the grave while the bodies were decomposing, helping reconstruct the burial environment.
A rare glimpse into changing beliefs
Researchers said the Ephesus burial differs sharply from other discoveries of newborn remains recovered from ancient sewer systems, including sites at Ashkelon in Israel and the Agora Bone Well in Athens. Those finds have been interpreted by some researchers as possible evidence of infanticide.
The Ephesus grave tells a different story. Its careful construction, undisturbed condition, and location within the former sanctuary of Artemis all point to a deliberate and respectful burial.
Researchers said the discovery sheds light on changing burial traditions as Roman customs gave way to Christian beliefs. It also provides rare evidence of how families cared for infants whose lives ended before or shortly after birth, despite the high risks surrounding childbirth in the ancient world.
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