The Octagon at Ephesos (Turkey) - The History Written in Our Bones

A well-preserved skeleton discovered in 1929 in a sarcophagus at the Octagon in Ephesos (Turkey) has long been speculated to belong to Arsinoë IV, Cleopatra VII’s half-sister. Using modern genetic, morphological, and dating analyses, researchers confirmed the bones are from a single individual, radiocarbon dated to 205–36 BC. However, DNA analysis shows the skeleton is that of an 11–14-year-old boy of Italian or Sardinian ancestry, ruling out the Arsinoë IV connection. The boy suffered significant developmental issues; the fate of Arsinoë IV remains unknown, while the Octagon boy’s identity can now be investigated more accurately.

The cranium analyzed in the study was radiocarbon dated to between 205 and 36 BCE, a time when Ephesos was a bustling cosmopolitan center, sitting at the crossroads of Greek, Anatolian, Persian, and Roman cultures.

Genetic analysis revealed:

• The individual had ancestry linked both to the Near East (Anatolia, Levant) and to populations from Southern Europe.
• The genome bears signals of interaction between people from different regions of the eastern Mediterranean.
• The findings provide direct proof that people in Ephesos during this era were connected to broader population movements—resulting from migration, trade, and the vibrant mixing of cultures under Hellenistic and Roman influence.

Evidence of Movement: More Than Just Art and Literature

Archaeological sites, ancient texts, and art have long suggested that people moved widely in the Hellenistic and Roman Mediterranean. Now, DNA adds a biological record—showing, at the most personal level, how those journeys shaped real people.

• The individual’s genomic makeup matches modern patterns found across Anatolia, the Balkans, and around the Aegean.
• This is further evidence that Ephesos served as a crossroads for human genetics as well as ideas and commerce.

Connecting Ancient DNA and Modern Ancestry

Genetics of the cranium suggest an ancestry from the Italian peninsula or Sardinia

Why It Matters

Each ancient genome is a story of movement, connection, and the beautifully mixed heritage that defines humanity. Whether you descend from Greeks, Anatolians, Romans, or their many neighbors, your DNA tells a story of journeys—much like the one uncovered in Ephesos.