- Tourist Information
- Map
- The Papyrus Tomb
- An Ancient Greek Papyrus in Romania
- Callatis – a Greek colony build in the 6th century BC
- Callatis Archaeological Museum
Tourist Information
| Type | Ancient tomb |
| Construction Period | 4th Century BC |
| Age | 2300 years-old |
| Visiting Hours Callatis Archeological Museum | The tomb’s initial location can’t be visited. The tomb was reconstructed inside Callatis Archeological Museum in Mangalia. Summer: Monday – Sunday: 8.30 – 19.30 Winter: Monday – Friday: 8.30 – 16.30 |
| Ticket Prices | Adults: 1 Euro Photo fee: 2 Euro Video Tax: 4 Euro |
| Other tourists attractions in the area | The incineration tombs (the necropolis of the Callatis citadel, dating back to the 4th-2nd centuries BC) The ruins of the Callatis citadel (6th century BC) The Turkish Esmahan Sultan Mosque (16th century) |
| Location | Callatis Museum, Mangalia, Constanta, Romania, Europe |
Map
The Papyrus Tomb
2 300 years ago a large tomb was erected at Kallatis for a ruler of the region or even for a king.
The tomb dating to the Hellenistic era (4th century BC) was discovered in 1959 and is also known as the Papyrus Tomb. The original location of the tomb was near the stadium (behind the museum). Here were discovered four Greek vessels: a kantharos, two small plates, and a pater (a vessel used for libations).
Now The Papyrus Tomb has been moved and rebuilt in the Callatis Museum in Mangalia where it can be visited.
The tomb was surrounded by a stone ring, which can be seen even now, and the vault of the room tries to restore the initial appearance of the funerary mound that protects the tomb. On the lid of the tomb, made of three large slabs of limestone, were found the remains of eggs shells and a fragmentary crown of bronze laurel leaves and gilded ceramic beads, fastened to a bone frame, imitating the laurel wreath of antiquity.
Inside The Papyrus Tomb was discovered a male skeleton that had around the skull fragments of a laurel wreath similar to the one on the lid and numerous grains of wheat. Egg shells and wheat are associated with Dionysian rituals, the god Dionysus being considered a symbol of resurrection.
An Ancient Greek Papyrus in Romania
The remains of a Papyrus written in Greek were discovered over the right hand of the skeleton. The dimensions of the fragmentary document rolled in the form of a Volume were 30 cm * 15 cm. A few disparate letters could be read, written in brown ink. It is possible that the papyrus contained information of a literary or religious nature.
This is the only ancient papyrus discovered in Romania written in the Greek language.
When the tomb has been opened the papyrus instantly darkened on contact with air. The Romanians called a team of experts from Moscow.
Mikhail Alexandrovsky, the most prolific Soviet researcher of the time, tried to preserve the paper before extracting it from the tomb but the effort was futile. The document was “broken” into 154 pieces.
In 2009, the former director of the Callatis Museum and a team of Romanian specialists managed to recover from the Russian capital the 154 pieces from the old document. The papyrus was never exposed.
At this time, it is one of the oldest papyrus in Europe that was discovered and written in ancient Greek (the Derveni Papyrus in Greece dates from the same period)
Callatis – a Greek colony build in the 6th century BC
Callatis was one of the important Greek colonies in the western Black Sea two and a half millennia ago. In the 13th century, Callatis came to be known as Pangalia. The Vlachs called it Tomisovara and the Greeks called it Panglicara. In the 16th century, the town acquired its present name, Mangalia.
Callatis Archaeological Museum
The Callatis Archaeological Museum also houses historical vestiges of the ancient fortress of Callatis. In the park behind the museum building, there are also numerous architectural fragments but also a cremation altar.
