A new study confirms that a skull thought to belong to Cleopatra's sister is not that of Arsinoë IV. A study published January 10th debunks the theory that a skull found in a tomb belonged to Cleopatra's half-sister. After extensive testing, it appears clear that Cleopatra's sister's tomb is not in the location where it was presumed to be.
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The study was released in Scientific Reports and confirms that, based on testing, the skull and other remains instead belong to a teenage boy who died young.
Study Confirms That A Cranium Thought To Be That Of Cleopatra's Sister Is, In Fact, Not
In 1929, an excavated skeleton was thought to be that of an important person. Many people apparently claimed that the remains were those of Cleopatra VII's half-sister, Arsinoë IV.
The new study, completed by authors from universities such as the University of Vienna, University of Coimbra, and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, utilized morphological, genetic, and dating testing to analyze bone samples from a femur and rib from the discovered site.
Ruins of Ephesus with the Library of Celsus
The testing suggested that the bones came from the same person, and that the person was a male individual. Thus, researchers concluded that the bones could not have come from Arsinoë IV.
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In the study, researchers used micro-CT scanning of the skull to examine various bones and teeth, then used a "geometric morphometric analysis of the cranium" to capture various measurements.
Dating, genetic sampling and sequencing, and other analyses were also employed to determine the person's age and genetic makeup.
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While researchers involved in the initial analysis of the cranium thought that indicators such as thin bones and weak muscle markers meant the bones belonged to a female, this study confirms it was an adolescent male.
Examining the male's bones and teeth resulted in researchers suggesting the male was between 11 and 14 years old. Further data suggests that the male lived in Ephesos in the Classical Roman period and had "developmental disturbances."
Based on the researchers' findings, the teen may have had a disorder such as thyroid dysfunction or rickets or possibly Treacher Collins Syndrome, though limitations in evaluating the bones prevented the team from identifying exactly what condition the teen may have lived with, or if it killed him.
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Another interesting detail of the discovery is that the Ephesos Octagon is thought to have happened a few decades after Arsinoë IV was killed, thus it doesn't make sense for her to have been buried there.
Cleopatra's Sister's Tomb Is Still Unidentified
Ephesus Archaeological Site
Like the tomb of Cleopatra herself, many rumors have swirled about the burial place of Cleopatra's sister. Cleopatra's younger sister, the daughter of Ptolemy XII, is said to have been killed in Ephesos in 41 BC.
Arsinoë IV is said to have been executed by Mark Antony, who was asked to do so by Cleopatra, after years of feuding; in the Alexandrian War, Arsinoë went up against Cleopatra, who was allied with Julius Caesar.
With no love lost between the half-sisters, it's unclear what happened to Arsinoë's body after she was killed.
An online search for her tomb suggests that many still believe Arsinoë is buried in the Ephesus Archaeological Site in Türkiye. It appears it may take time, and more discussion of the recent study, to change that perception.
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Given that this recent study disproves the theory about Arsinoë's tomb being located in Ephesos, researchers must continue to search for Arsinoë's resting place. However, the researchers' evaluation of the young male's bones may allow him to rest in peace.
References: The cranium from the Octagon in Ephesos, Weber, G.W., Šimková, P.G., Fernandes, D. et al.; Brittanica