- The papyrus grave
THE ONLY PAPYRUS DISCOVERED IN ROMANIA HAS BEEN RETRIEVED
In 1959 the urban planning of Mangalia began and new archaeological researches were conducted. Based on these researches, new archaeological complex were found in the Hellenistic necropolis, among them being the famous papyrus grave.
The attempts of leveling the field around the stadium area and summer theatre initially led to the discovery of a circle of stone blocks, with a diameter of approximately 14 m. In the center of the stone circle there was a rectangular hole, 3,90 X2,25 m in dimension. Here were discovered four Greek pots: a kantharos, 2 saucers and a patera (a vessel used for libations).
One meter and a half deep, from the level of the ring platform, there was a tomb built from massive chalk blocks, decorated only on the interior walls. The tomb’s dimensions were 2,05 X 0,85 X 0, 72, facing east-west, same as all Hellenistic burial tombs. On the top of the grave, formed from three chalk stones, were found eggs shells and a wreath with bronze leaves and ceramic beads, on a bone casement, all golden. In the grave was a male skeleton, in a precarious state of conservation. On the head was another wreath, similar with the one on the top but also many wheat grains. There were also discovered shreds of clothing and shoes. Between the bones of its right hand and over the basin bones were discovered, in an advanced deterioration state, fragments of a papyrus written in Greek.
Based on the archaeological findings, (ceramic pots, coins issued during Philip II and Alexander the Great Macedonian emperors), the grave was dated in the second half of the 4th century B.C. Based on the wreaths discovered on the grave and on the skeleton’s head, we can assume the buried person had an important role in Callatis community since these distinctions were given only to those citizen who have done something remarkable for the society, politically, artistically or culturally. These assumptions are also supported by the papyrus discovered in the grave.
Discovered on 18th May 1859, the papyrus was kept in the grave, covered, until Mihail A. Alexandrovski –Department Head at Institute of Archaeology Russian Academy of Sciences came on 30th May. The papyrus was taken to the Institute of Archaeology in Bucharest but, because there were no conditions for restoration and preservation, the Presidium of R.P.R. Academy (Socialist Republic of Romania) decided the papyrus should be sent to Moscow. On 5th June 1959, prof. Radu Vulpe, Romanian representative, handed over the papyrus to the Soviet representative, Mihail A. Alexandrovski.
For half a century, Romania knew nothing about this papyrus. Specialty journals but other magazines and newspapers stated that this papyrus was destroyed. In exchange, in Russia, four-five decades ago, were published articles stating the papyrus was in a good conservation state but they didn’t say where it was being kept. One of these articles, published in 1973, in a scientific magazine in Moscow, was read by Ion Pâslaru, who was studying for his Ph.D. dissertation.
In 2002, when he took a job at The Archaeological Museum Callatis Mangalia, dr. Ion Pâslaru remembered the scientific magazine he had read over three decades ago. Ever since, he kept trying to persuade all former directors of the museum, local and government public authorities in order to bring the papyrus back in the country, but without any luck.
In 2009, the process of finding and bringing back to the country of this extremely important artefact for Dobruja’s history started. After two years of continuous activity and hundreds of letters to different institutions from Russian Federation and Romania, hundreds of e-mails and phone calls, as well as visits to Moscow, the only papyrus discovered in Romania was found and brought back to the country.
As a result, on 22nd August 2011, The Archaeology Museum Callatis Mangalia and Mangalia Municipality organized a national event: the official handover ceremony of the papyrus.
