The cranium from the Octagon in Ephesos

Abstract

During excavations in 1929, a well-preserved skeleton was discovered in a sarcophagus in the Octagon at Ephesos (Turkey). For the following century, archaeologists have speculated about the identity of this obviously notable person. Repeated claim is that the remains could represent Arsinoë IV, daughter of Ptolemy XII, and younger (half-)sister of Cleopatra VII. To address these questions we undertook state-of-the-art morphological, genetic and dating analyses of the cranium and further analyses of bone samples from a femur and a rib of the skeleton found in the same tomb. We confirm based on genetic analyses from the cranium and the femur that they derive from the same person. 14C-dating of the cranium provides a most likely time range between 205-36 BC. The connection with Arsinoë IV can be excluded because we confirmed that the individual is a male. The cranium represents an 11-14-year-old boy who suffered from significant developmental disturbances. Genetics suggest an ancestry from the Italian peninsula or Sardinia. The fate of the body of Arsinoë IV, who reportedly was killed in 41 BC in Ephesos, remains open. In contrast, investigations regarding the fate and social background of the boy from the Octagon can now proceed free of speculation.