A 100-year-old mystery about Cleopatra’s sister’s remains has been unraveled with modern science.
The lingering question about a skull believed to belong to Queen Cleopatra’s murdered sister has finally been answered after nearly a century. The discovery has brought clarity to a mystery that has fascinated historians and archaeologists alike for decades.Back in 1929, Austrian archaeologist Josef Keil and his team made a groundbreaking find. While exploring a historic tomb in Turkey, they uncovered a water-filled sarcophagus containing a skull and some bones. The find was part of an excavation of the ‘Octagon,’ a site that had once been magnificently constructed.
Keil decided to take the skull from the tomb back with him to study further. When it was presented to historians, the artefact was determined to belong to a young woman, roughly 20 years of age. This conclusion only deepened the intrigue surrounding its origins.
Cleopatra had sent for her sister to be killedGetty Images
The burial site itself provided significant clues about the identity of the individual. According to the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the tomb’s design and location indicated it was meant for someone of very high social standing, possibly of aristocratic descent.This fueled the theory that the remains could belong to Cleopatra’s half-sister, Arsinoë IV. Historical accounts suggest Arsinoë was assassinated in Ephesus, an ancient Greek city now located in modern-day Turkey, around 41 BCE. The act was reportedly carried out on the orders of Cleopatra’s lover, Mark Antony, at Cleopatra’s urging.
Now, thanks to advances in modern technology and science, the long-standing enigma has been resolved. A team of researchers from the University of Vienna, led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber, employed cutting-edge tools such as DNA analysis, advanced scanning equipment, and anthropological techniques to examine the skull.Their findings dated the skull to somewhere between 36 BCE and 205 BCE, which coincides with the traditional timeline associated with Arsinoë’s death. This appeared to further support the initial hypothesis that the remains could belong to the princess.
The skull going into the Vienna Micro-CT LabGerhard Weber, University of Vienna
However, the discovery of another skeleton within the Octagon tomb in 1985 revealed a surprising twist. DNA testing confirmed that this new skeleton matched the skull taken by Keil, conclusively ruling out that the remains belonged to Arsinoë IV.Weber explained the findings in a statement reported by Science News: “Then came the big surprise: in repeated tests, the skull and femur both clearly showed the presence of a Y chromosome – in other words, a male”
Further analysis revealed the skull and bones actually belonged to a boy aged 11 to 14. The child had clear signs of growth abnormalities, such as an underdeveloped jaw and unusual cranial features, indicating he had suffered from pathological growth disorders.
While scientists remain uncertain about the exact causes of the boy’s growth issues, they theorize it might have been due to a lack of vitamin D. Additionally, they determined the boy likely originated from either Italy or Sardinia and was presumably of Roman descent.Although these findings close the chapter on one mystery, they open up new questions. Researchers are now focused on piecing together the boy’s identity and understanding his connection to the tomb, while the search for Cleopatra’s sister continues.
They now believe the skull belongs to a young boyGerhard Weber, University of Vienna
Science News commented on the significance of the findings: “What is clear is that the tomb was intended for a person of very high social status.”They added: “In any case, the results of this study open up a wide field for exciting new research.”
Historical records indicate that Arsinoë was exiled to Ephesus by Cleopatra, who saw her as a threat to her reign. Eventually, Cleopatra ordered her execution, solidifying her grip on power but leaving behind an enduring mystery.
As for the skull itself, Keil first transported it to Germany for further study before moving it to Austria, where it remains today as part of ongoing research efforts.
