The stone before removal with its inscription visible. It reads “D(is) M(anibus)/S(e)x(to) Congenio Vero/mi(liti) cl(assis) p(raetoriae) Mi(senensis) natio(ne) Bes(so)/vixit an(nis) XLII mi(litavit) an(nis)/XXII, Tutela ((triere)) Asc(l)epio/fece(runt) Atilius Carus/et Vettius Longi/nus heredes/b(ene) m(erenti)”, which translates “To the Spirits of the Dead for Sextus Congenius Verus, soldier of the praetorian fleet Misenensis, from the tribe (natio) of the Bessi [i.e., a Thracian], (who) lived 42 years (and) served 22 in the military, on the trieme Asclepius. Atilius Carus and Vettius Longinus, his heirs, made (this) for him well deserving.” (Photo courtesy of D. Ryan Gray)
As an archaeologist, I often get questions from the public about odd things that show up during construction or landscaping projects around the city. It’s natural, and it’s a part of my job that I love. In a place like New Orleans with such a rich history, the past is always very close at hand.
While I’ve been doing archaeology in New Orleans for more than a quarter-of-a-century, I never feel like I’ve seen it all. There are always surprises and new mysteries to solve. Still, it is rare for those routine questions to become truly international in scope and involve an interdisciplinary team of scholars, museum professionals and the FBI. But that is exactly what happened earlier this year.
A SURPRISING DISCOVERY…