The skeletons of at least three children have been discovered in a grave beneath the floor of an ancient Greek temple in Sicily, raising new questions about its use as a Christian burial site. Archaeologists found the remains inside the Temple of Concordia in Agrigento, where they hope to uncover evidence about a largely undocumented period in the monument’s history.
The children were buried together in a grave cut into the temple’s floor. Researchers have yet to determine when the burial took place or how old the children were when they died.
The discovery came during a new excavation led by archaeologist Maria Serena Rizzo and biological anthropologist Roberto Miccichè. Specialists will examine the remains to estimate their age and investigate possible evidence of disease, nutrition, and living conditions. The findings could help establish when the ancient building began serving as a cemetery, centuries after its construction.
Greek temple’s transformation into a Christian church
The Temple of Concordia stands in Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its surviving Greek architecture. Built around 440 to 430 B.C., the monument dates to a period when the city, then called Akragas (Credit: Ἀκράγας), was a wealthy Greek settlement. Its imposing stone columns and largely intact structure have survived for nearly 2,500 years. Much of that preservation is attributed to a major change in the building’s purpose.
A mysterious grave containing the remains of three children has been unearthed inside a 2,500-year-old Greek temple in Sicily.
Could the discovery unlock centuries of forgotten history surrounding the temple's transformation into a Christian church? pic.twitter.com/Rhxv2zqF5e— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) November 5, 2026
At some point during the early medieval period, the former temple became a Christian church. Workers enclosed the spaces between its outer columns and created arches in the walls of its inner chamber. The conversion was part of a broader practice of transforming ancient Greek temples into Christian places of worship. Similar changes occurred at other monuments, including the Parthenon in Athens.
Historical accounts associate the conversion with Gregory of Agrigento, a bishop who lived around the late sixth and early seventh centuries. Yet the precise date remains uncertain. Archaeologists have not recovered enough physical evidence to establish when Christian worship began inside the monument. The children’s burial may provide another piece of that history.
Previous discoveries point to a medieval cemetery
Evidence of burial activity around the temple has emerged from earlier archaeological investigations. Excavations in 2018 and 2019 revealed human remains near the temple entrance. Scientists used radiocarbon dating to date one grave to the second half of the 12th century. The burial contained an adult man whose bones showed signs of prolonged inflammation in his legs.
Other graves nearby contained children. Researchers identified two young individuals, approximately four and seven years old, buried in the same grave. Another burial held an infant estimated to have been between six and eight weeks old. These discoveries suggest that families used the surrounding area as a cemetery during the medieval period.
The area has also produced evidence of early Christian religious activity in other parts of ancient Agrigento, including the remains of a place of worship discovered during separate excavations. Historical documents describe a religious community associated with St. Gregory at the site.
Under Norman rule, the former temple was connected to a monastery that followed Greek Christian religious practices. However, this evidence does not establish when the first burials occurred inside the building.
Scientists seek evidence of an earlier burial period
The newly recovered skeletons could help researchers investigate a major gap in the archaeological record. Although tradition places the temple’s conversion around the sixth or seventh century, the previously dated burial inside the structure belongs to the 12th century. That leaves several centuries of its history without firm archaeological dates.
If laboratory analysis places the children’s remains earlier than the Norman period, the discovery could provide new evidence of burial activity during those missing centuries. A later date would instead strengthen evidence that the building continued functioning as a burial site in medieval Sicily.
Researchers have not announced a date for the new remains, and their relationship to previously excavated graves remains unclear. The discovery adds to ongoing archaeological research in Agrigento, where excavations have revealed how the ancient city changed over successive periods.
Other investigations have also uncovered mosaics and early Christian remains that document changes in the city’s religious and urban landscape. Further examination of the children’s remains could help establish how the ancient Greek sanctuary evolved into a Christian religious center and eventually became a place where local communities buried their dead.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
