Archaeologists are coming

The oldest layer of St. Peter’s Basilica came to light only in the 20th century. In 1939, Pope Pius XII decided to open the Vatican Caves to the public. To make this practical, it was necessary to increase the height of the interior by lowering the floor level of the original flooring by approximately two and a half feet. As workers began digging, they uncovered many Roman tombs from the ancient Vatican necropolis. For the church, the archaeological investigation of these ruins was an extremely sensitive undertaking. It involved determining whether the tomb containing the body of St. Peter was actually under the altar of the basilica. This tradition, so important to the identity of the Roman Church, was challenged by Protestants in the 16th century. According to sources in Rome, Martin Luther wrote: “It is not known where in the city the bodies of Saints Peter and Paul are, or even whether they are there at all. Even the Pope and the cardinals know very well what they do not know.”

Despite the controversy, Pius XII launched a major archaeological investigation. The excavation, led by archaeologist Antonio Ferrua under the supervision of Monsignor Ludwig Kaas, lasted more than a decade and made it possible to identify and restore 22 tombs belonging to the Roman necropolis of Via Cornelia, adjacent to Caligula’s Circus. The tombs, which have remained undisturbed underground for centuries, are extremely well preserved, and their plasters and paintings were found in very good condition.

The structure discovered just below the vertical axis of the altar in the basilica attracted the most attention. It was a structure with two niches on top of each other, attached to a red plastered wall. Archaeologists have determined that this is the Gaius Prize, and that the monument mentioned in the sources was built in the second century to mark the tomb of Peter. In his Christmas radio address on December 23, 1950, Pius XII announced the discovery in stark terms: “Has St. Peter’s tomb really been found? The answer to this question is beyond any doubt: Yes. The tomb of the Prince of the Apostles has been found.”

(The age of the supposed tomb of Jesus Christ revealed)

papal announcements

But scientific reports on the excavation are more cautious. They described the discovery of a modest “respectable tomb” that had been almost completely destroyed. Although Christian symbols and graffiti were found, they were difficult to read and interpret. In any case, they appeared to date from the time of Constantine’s construction.

The excavation ordered by Pius XII was aimed at finding the tomb of St. Peter and, more importantly, his bones. Considering the importance of relics within the Catholic Church, being able to identify the body of the man who was Jesus’ right-hand man would be an extraordinary event. While digging under the two niches that make up the Trophy of Gaius, archaeologists came across an underground cavity about one meter deep. If there were bones inside, was it possible that they belonged to the messenger? But initially all the archaeologists found were a large number of coins, probably left by the pilgrims. Some skeletal remains were uncovered during the excavation, but not inside the tomb. At that time the bones did not arouse special interest and therefore were stored in a wooden box in the repository of the Vatican Caves.

Pope Pius However, it is not possible to prove with certainty that these belong to the messenger’s body. “This leaves the historical authenticity of the tomb still intact.”

(The eighth wonder of the ancient world may have an untouched tomb.)

Subsequent research of these bones was carried out by epigrapher Margherita Guarducci. He personally asked the pope for permission to examine all graffiti related to the Gaius Prize. Inscriptions scrawled in charcoal or etched with pencil on the ruins of the monument were concentrated on a wall built perpendicular to the red plaster wall of the Gaius Trophy as a buttress to support it.

Guarducci noticed a small place or gap in this wall (known as the G wall or graffiti wall) that had not been investigated. While working in the caves, one of the excavators told Guarducci that this place in the G wall was where the bones mentioned by the pope were first found. Guarducci managed to track down the bones in the warehouse and asked the pope if he could have the bones analyzed by a famous forensic doctor. The results came in 1963 and showed that the skeletal remains all belonged to a man.

According to the analysis, he was obese and died at an advanced age, between the ages of 60 and 70. Analysis also revealed traces of a woolen fabric dyed purple and woven with gold. This indicated that the bones were carefully wrapped before being placed in the loculus. The conclusion was clear, at least to Guarducci: The bones belonged to St. Peter’s. Based on these results, in 1968 Pope Paul VI solemnly announced that the apostle’s bones had been found.

Here’s Peter

During the excavations, Ferrua noticed that a piece of the graffiti wall had broken off and wrote some Greek letters on it. Although the text was missing, the archaeologist restored it as it was. PETROS ENI (Here is Peter). This was the first textual indication that the Prize of Gaius was indeed the tomb of Peter. However, not all scientists agreed with Ferrua’s interpretation. For example, it is possible to understand the opposite meaning from the inscription: PETROS ENDEI (Peter is not here).

Guarducci later managed to decipher other graffiti on the wall and, after much study, concluded that these were messages from faithful Christians written in code during a time of anti-Christian persecutions. He identified and interpreted approximately 20 symbols referring to St. Peter. Decades later, identification of the bones and interpretation of the graffiti are still hotly debated. Considering that Peter was martyred somewhere on the site of a basilica dedicated to him, it seems logical that the Gaius Prize would be built on a modest monument to the apostle. Over the centuries, this particular area of ​​the Vatican necropolis has become an area revered by Christians. It is more difficult to be sure whether the bones found here are really Peter’s.