A series of archaeological artifacts that are likely to be listed as national cultural heritage – Treasure category were discovered at the site of the ‘Tumular Necropolis of the Ancient City of Callatis’ – current Mangalia city, in the sector coordinated by experts of the National Museum of Romanian History (MNIR).

‘The discovery consists of gold, glass and bronze ornaments, of which three funeral wreaths stand out, featuring gilded bronze leaves that imitate myrtle and ivy stems mounted on a wooden support, with fruits made of gilded ceramic, as well as two sarcophagi with carved and painted elements made of limestone and marble,’ the MNIR said in a release.

These artifacts dated to the 3rd century BC, together with numerous fragments of ancient wood, some still retaining traces of pigments, but also human bones and ceramics, were identified in a burial mound that contained a tomb made of processed stone covered with a semi-cylindrical vault. The mound is the largest known so far in southern Dobrogea, measuring 12 m in height and 70 m in diameter. An important landscape structure, it is also visible from the sea.

The imposing funerary monument belonged to a wealthy and influential Greek family from Callatis, connected to the Macedonian religious and political lifestyle. The very well preserved tomb is the work of an experienced architect who designed everything carefully, in a fine play of proportions.

The find of ancient gold, glass and bronze ornaments was brought on Sunday to the National Museum of Romanian History.

The two sarcophagi with carved and painted elements made of limestone and marble will also be transferred to the museum for study, conservation and restoration. All archaeological assets, both those made of precious metals and those made of stone, will enter the conservation process in the MNIR laboratories, and will be subjected to preliminary investigations conducted in collaboration with the Optoelectronics Research and Development National Institute – INOE 200 that will look at their structure and physico-chemical characteristics. The photogrammetric and LiDAR sensor documentation of the architectural elements, stratigraphy and geometry of the structures is carried out by provider of computational photography technology Gigapixel S.R.L., MNIR said.

These data are essential for architectural studies and those dedicated to the conservation of the monument, representing the basis for future virtual reconstruction proposals.

A first synthesis of the preliminary results of the multidisciplinary archaeological research on this ancient funerary monument will be presented at the European Heritage Days (September 12 – 14, 2025), at a cultural event organized at the National Museum of Romanian History.

The Kalla Project, begun in 2017 by the ‘Vasile Parvan’ Institute of Archaeology in Bucharest in partnership with the Callatis Museum in Mangalia, focuses on the research of tumulus tombs in the Callatian territory, among the monuments researched being the 3rd century BC tumuli tombs from Documaci and Neptun.

Starting with 2023, systematic archaeological research at the ‘Tumular Necropolis of the Ancient City of Callatis’ site is carried out by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the following institutions: the National Museum of Romanian History, the National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians, the ‘Vasile Parvan’ Institute of Archaeology, the ‘Callatis’ Museum of Mangalia, the Bucharest Municipality Museum, Gigapixel S.R.L. and Metamorfozys S.R.L.