Repurposed Centurion Tomb Plate From Legio I Italica Unearthed at Novae

Roman legionary headquarters (principia) at Novae, Bulgaria. Inset; Centurion’s Tombstone repurposed in a cist grave

February

/ 2026

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A Roman tomb plate linked to a centurion of Legio I Italica has surfaced during rescue excavations near the frontier fortress of Novae, offering a rare, named glimpse into military life on the Lower Danube. Archaeologists were called in after a tree uprooted on private land exposed ancient burials, leading to the discovery of five grave structures in what appears to be part of a 2nd–3rd century necropolis. The standout element is a partially preserved monument for centurion Gaius Valerius Verecundus, reused as building material in a later grave, an evocative example of how the living repurposed the stones of the dead.

Rescue Dig Reveals Reused Military Epitaphs

According to archaeologist Marin Marinov, the team documented two limestone cist graves, a brick-and-stone grave, a simple burial pit, and a stepped pit showing burning traces reports Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). The centurion’s tombstone fragment was incorporated into one of the cist graves along with other Latin-inscribed pieces, suggesting older monuments were already being dismantled in antiquity. The graves were disturbed, likely looted long ago, leaving only a small set of finds such as fibulae and minor implements. The skeletal remains found will be assessed by specialists.

Roman tombstone reused in cist tomb

Roman tombstone reused in cist tomb Svishtov, northern Bulgaria. (Marin Marinov, curator at the Historical Museum in Svishtov)

Heritage Daily reporting adds that the centurion’s epitaph was composed in verse and that multiple named stones ended up in the same structure, including one for a veteran of the First Italic Legion originally from Iconium (modern Konya, Turkey). The same coverage notes additional decorative motifs (wreaths, ivy leaves, and branches) plus carved signa (military standards) that underline the martial identity of the people buried here. Taken together, the inscriptions hint at a community shaped by soldiers, veterans, relatives, and camp followers whose lives were tied to Rome’s border defences.

If you want context on rank and responsibility, Ancient Origins’ background on Roman centurions helps explain why a named centurion matters: these officers enforced discipline, led from the front, and often served as the backbone of a legion’s day-to-day order. For the wider military machine behind them, see Ancient Origins’ primer on Roman legions, which outlines how numbered units became powerful institutions with long memories and strong identities.

Why Novae Mattered on Rome’s Danube Frontier

Novae sits on the southern bank of the Danube, around 4 km from modern Svishtov, and grew from legionary base to a substantial frontier settlement. The fortress was first established by Legio VIII Augusta around the mid-1st century AD, before Legio I Italica replaced it and remained in place into Late Antiquity, helping explain why veterans and officers ended up buried nearby. As a long-term base, Novae supported major imperial operations, including campaigns against tribes beyond the river, and later became a bishopric in the 5th–6th centuries as the town’s character shifted.

For readers tracking Roman frontier archaeology more broadly, Ancient Origins has covered other Danube-related finds, including a mass grave of Roman soldiers beneath a Vienna sports field and the identification of a Roman fort in Austria along the Danube. Finds like the Novae tombstone fit into this bigger picture: Rome’s borders were not empty lines on a map, but lived landscapes packed with forts, cemeteries, families, and supply networks.

Another repurposed Roman tombstone reused in cist tomb Svishtov, northern Bulgaria. (Marin Marinov, curator at the Historical Museum in Svishtov)

When Tombstones Become Building Stone

The reuse described at Novae is striking, but it is also a familiar pattern across the Roman world: old monuments were often treated as convenient, pre-cut masonry. In a busy military settlement, cemeteries could be reorganized as generations passed, while stone from earlier graves might be moved, broken up, or repurposed during later burials. That kind of reuse can feel unsettling today, yet for archaeologists it creates layered “archives,” where inscriptions and iconography resurface in unexpected contexts.

What Happens Next for the Novae Tombstone

Specialists are now working to study the Latin texts in full and to examine the disturbed human remains, with the hope of clarifying the individuals’ origins, ages, and burial histories. Even with looting and reuse, the survival of a named centurion connected to Legio I Italica is significant, because it anchors the archaeology to a real person, someone who lived, served, and died on a contested frontier. As more inscriptions from the necropolis are catalogued, the “Novae tombstone” story may expand into a richer roster of the empire’s mobile military world.

Top image: Roman legionary headquarters (principia) at Novae, Bulgaria. Inset; Centurion’s Tombstone repurposed in a cist grave. Source: Kleo73/CC BY-SA 3.0 Inset; Marin Marinov, curator at the Historical Museum in Svishtov

By Gary Manners