Found the thousand-year-old coffin of the Roman emperor's bodyguard

The stone sarcophagus contains the intact remains of a bodyguard who once protected the Roman emperor Diocletian and many burial items.

Tziampo's stone coffin.

Archaeologists discovered the coffin with the Latin inscription "guardian of the emperor" in the Kocaeli province of western Turkey during the construction of the foundation of a building between 2017 and 2019. During the wave. During excavations directed by the Kocaeli Museum, the team identified a total of 37 tombs. The coffin was in one of the tombs. Research conducted by Associate Professor Hüseyin Sami Öztürk at the University of Marmara confirmed that the coffin belonged to Tziampo, a bodyguard of the emperor Diocletian (reigned from 284 to 305).

According to Serkan Geduk, director of the Kocaeli Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, Tziampo was of Romanian origin before joining the Roman army as a cavalryman. Trained to disrupt enemy infantry ranks, flank, chase, capture, and kill fleeing enemy troops. After nine years on the front line, Tziampo was promoted to the rank of general, and in his 11th year in the army, he was given the title "guardian of the emperor".

Archaeologists say Tziampo was part of an eight-man bodyguard, with the remaining seven from Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Algeria, and Arab. Tziampo's tomb is very special because this is not only the first time an emperor's bodyguard has been discovered in Anatolia (now Turkey) but his skeleton is still intact and surrounded by many burial items. . The research team dug many sacrifices around the two skeletons. The remaining skeleton belongs to Tziampo's wife.

In addition to Tziampo's coffin, four of the five other coffins discovered in the area also have Latin inscriptions. All the remains and burial items collected from the Kocaeli tomb will help researchers better understand the history of Anatolia under the rule of the Roman Empire.