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Ancient Roman gravestone found in New Orleans back yard returned to Italy | Archaeology
A nearly 2,000-year-old Roman grave marker discovered in a New Orleans backyard has now been returned to Italy.
The marble epitaph – dating back roughly 1,900 years – was officially handed over to Italian officials in Rome on Wednesday during a ceremony led by the FBI. The event also marked the repatriation of another antiquity recovered in the US, the agency said.
The artifact first came to light last year when Tulane University anthropologist Danielle Santoro and her husband, Aaron Lorenz, were clearing undergrowth in their yard. The couple noticed a slab with an unusually smooth surface and a carved inscription that appeared to be in Latin.
Santoro reached out to experts, including the University of New Orleans archaeologist Ryan Gray, over concerns that their historic home might sit atop an unmarked burial site.
Further analysis, assisted by Tulane University’s classical studies professor Susann Lusnia and other specialists, revealed the stone to be a grave marker dedicated to Sextus Congenius Verus, a Roman sailor and military figure believed to have lived in the second century. The artifact also matched records of a piece reported missing from the city museum in Civitavecchia, near Rome.
Lusnia went traveled to Civitavecchia to further investigate the epitaph’s origins. She discovered that the museum housing the artifact had been largely destroyed during the second world war and upon reopening in 1970, the museum had already lost most of its collection.
The mystery of how the stone ended up in New Orleans was eventually linked to Erin Scott O’Brien, the granddaughter of a US soldier. Speaking to outlets last year, O’Brien said her grandfather, Charles Paddock Jr, had kept the grave marker in a display case at his home in the city’s Gentilly neighborhood until his death in 1986.
O’Brien said she was unsure how Paddock obtained the stone but added that Paddock had served in Italy with the US army, married his wife there, and later returned to New Orleans to work as a voice teacher.
In a statement on Thursday the FBI said: “The FBI works with international partners to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property … FBI New Orleans in turn relinquished the relic to a member of the FBI’s Art Crime Team in November 2025. Our FBI Law Enforcement Attaché Office in Rome communicated daily with Italian officials to coordinate the ultimate return of the items.”
It added: “The funerary stone was just one of many items returned yesterday under the US-Italy Cultural Property Agreement (CPA). The CPA with Italy is the nation’s oldest bilateral cultural property agreement with a European country. The agreement places import restrictions on Italian antiquities to disrupt the financing of criminal organizations as well as ensure Americans have access to Italian antiquities and archaeological sites for educational, cultural, and scientific purposes.”
At more than 700 pages long, the report which lists 106 recommendations, proposes a comprehensive programme of reform in response to a profound catalogue of failures, widespread abuse, systemic failings of leadership and the mishandling of the review of critical CCTV evidence.
Key events
Last year’s US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has made birdie at 15 to join the little group on 1-under. He won the Travelers Championship the week after last year’s US Open and was soon afterwards T7 in August’s Tour Championship. But that difficult Ryder Cup followed and he has not found a top 10 since.
Meanwhile, a solid blow to the heart of the 6th green for Rory McIlroy.
The answer to the pub quiz question (17.43)? It was “Which Continental European nation can (kind of) lay claim to 176 professional wins, including no less than 21 major championships?” The World Cup was the clue and the country has just drawn with South Africa.
We had multiple shouts for Germany and France. But the answer is Czechia and this is why: Bernhard Langer (126 professional wins, 2 majors, 12 senior majors) is the son of a Czech father. Alex Cejka (19 professional wins, 3 seniors majors) and his father fled Czechia by foot and water in a manner that calls to mind a John Le Carre plot. Sandra Gal (1 professional win) is the daughter of Czech parents. Jessica (6 professional wins) and Nelly Korda (24 professional wins, 4 majors) are the daughters of Czech parents. And Klara Spilkova (2 professional wins) actually is Czech. It’s obviously a sneakily trick question but it’s quite an intriguing one. Quietly, Prague might be a secret golfing hotspot. Nelly, of course, has just won the US Women’s Open.
Ludvig Åberg cannot make birdie at 5 and Stevens misses his par putt at 8. Rory McIlroy is two clear and only five golfers in this morning wave are currently under-par, as Rickie Fowler joins the small party.
-3: McIlroy (14*)
-1: Stevens (17*), Fowler (15), Åberg (14*), James (12*)
Suddenly, Rory McIlroy’s eagle putt could be for a two-shot lead. That’s because the leader Sam Stevens has 6 feet for par on his 17th hole of the day. So what of the Masters champion? He prowls the hole, settles behind the ball and then pops the putt over the front edge! He’s 3-under through 14 holes. It’s also a first US Open eagle for him in nine years. So far, at least, this is a great start.
Back to the par-5 5th and the wind is whistling again. Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg find the edge of the green in two. But Rory McIlroy, with what David Howell suggests is an 8 or 9-iron, gets the ball to settle just 11 feet from the flag. A two-putt from there will tie the lead of Sam Stevens on 2-under. One putt will vault him into the lead all on his own.
This time last year the American Ethan Fang had just won the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in Sandwich. When told that his surname was gold for headline writers, he smiled and cried: “That’s the aim!” Alas, there will be no headlines for him today. Still an amateur, his opening round of 74 was solid though.
To the 597-yard par-5 5th. “I get the feeling Rory McIlroy is going to actually send this drive,” says Mel Reid and Paul McGinley adds that he suspects we will see a 400-yard drive this week. “We might just have seen it,” chuckles Ewen Murray. Nearly. 396 yards, in fact. It’s the easiest hole on the course today and a birdie would see him join the lead.
Last night Harry Kane said England’s opening World Cup encounter was a “game of two halves”. Tennessee’s Keith Mitchell is almost certainly unaware of the footballing cliché, but he’d understand. He played the back nine (his first) in 6-over and he’s 5-under through five holes of the front nine.
A potentially key moment for Tommy Fleetwood at 4. He’s 2-over and faced with a 20-foot par putt … and he makes it. Rory McIlroy then follows him in on the same line for another par, and he stays at 1-under. Ludvig Åberg cannot save his par from closer than both his playing partners. He drops back alongside the Northern Irishman.
This is not a day for the commentary team to speak too soon. Earlier, Paul McGinley said that JJ Spaun had safely found a green. Rich Beem was worried it would not stay there. And it didn’t, dribbling, one dimple at a time, into a bunker. Now McGinley praises Scottie Scheffler for finding the 11th green. Whereupon, you’ve guessed it, it slowly pootled into sand.
The US Open – a patience game both inside the ropes and inside the TV booth.
The 4th hole is the most difficult hole on the course today. It’s a 474-yard par-4 and Rory McIlroy gets lucky from the tee, avoiding the high rough, finding grass trodden-down by the galleries. But his blow from there gets very lucky as it squirts a long way right. It takes a huge hop on a path and looks like it might evoke memories of Richie Benaud’s famous commentary of Ian Botham’s six at Headingley in 1981 (“Into the confectionery stall … and out again”). But it somehow settles down on more trodden-down and sun-bleached dry grass. “A hard pan, tight lie,” says Mel Reid. “About 55 yards. All about strike this.” The result, a high pitch, is safe, but he has 15 feet for par.
Birdie for Sam Stevens at the par-5 5th. It gets him into a tie at the top on 2-under with Ludvig Åberg who misses a par-breaking chance from 15 feet at the 3rd (his 12th). Stevens is yet to win on either the first or second tier, but he is a three-time runner-up on the PGA Tour, including twice last year.
The Reitan tale was ill-timed – he promptly dropped a shot at 13. Better news for Rory McIlroy whose wedge approach at the 3rd (also his 12th) sets up a tap-in birdie to return to 1-under. He’s looking calm and controlled today. Scheffler, however, has missed yet another green at 10. All is not well with the World No. 1 – he’s 3-over and struggling to stay on that mark.
In early November 2024, Norway’s Kris Reitan was ranked 617 in the world and was playing on Europe’s second tier. He had only just decided to stick with tour golf rather than turn himself into a YouTube influencer. Turns out it was a good decision. A very good decision.
That month, he won the HotelPlanner Tour Grand Final. In May, he won the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open. He spent the rest of the year in superb form and claimed a PGA Tour card. Last month, he claimed the Truist Championship. He has overtaken his compatriot and friend Viktor Hovland in the world rankings (26 against 28). Today, he is contending in the US Open. Daft game, lovely tale.
The 10th hole trips up Patrick Reed and he drops out of a share of second. Updated leaderboard:
-2: Åberg (11*)
-1: Stevens (13*), Reitan (12*), Burns (12*) James (9*)
Only seven golfers have ever successfully defended the US Open. Brooks Koepka was the most recent man to do so, at Shinnecock Hills eight years ago. Last year’s winner JJ Spaun is being introduced to the difficulty of the task this week and is 3-over through eight holes.
As noted by Dave Tindall earlier, there are some lovely railroad sounds floating across the course this week. I’m a big fan of the mournful cry of an American train, but we’re also being treated to little toots and poops that are reminiscent of Manchester’s trams or the Island of Sodor. Fun fact: Charley Hull is a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. We once shared our fondness for James and irritation with Gordon.
A fourth dropped shot in eight holes for Scottie Scheffler. The 8th is wide – 65 yards wide – and he missed it. He eventually makes a double bogey-6. He did circle a birdie at 5, but he’s 3-over for the day, and his quest for a Career Grand Slam-completing win this week has got off to a rough start.
It’s been a tough day for the Irish veteran Padraig Harrington. He said this week that, even in (genuine rather than golfing) old age, he could be wheelchaired out to a major championship and he’d still feel like he could win it. Can even his legendary resilience be thinking that right now? He’s played 11 holes and scratched a bogey on seven of those holes.
Ludvig Åberg has rattled in another birdie at the 1st (his 10th) to hit 2-under and he has the solo lead. Playing partner Tommy Fleetwood’s trousers are flapping away – and unfortunately so is his putter. A three putt bogey for him while Rory McIlroy opens their second nine with a par.
Weather update. TV’s Anna Jackson explains that we can expect gusts of up to 30mph and there is a possibility of rain, maybe heavy, and maybe involving thunder. So, more disruptions are likely, and we won’t be finishing the first round today. Leaderboard update:
-1: Stevens (12*), Reitan (11*), Burns (9*), Reed (8), Åberg (9*), James (7*)
(11 players on level-par and another 13 on +1 )
Here’s a pub quiz question for you. Which Continental European nation can (kind of) lay claim to 176 professional wins, including no less than 21 major championships? Two clues: the majors include senior majors, and the nation is playing in the World Cup.
The last time Tommy Fleetwood played the 18th hole at Shinnecock Hills, he had an 8-foot putt for a 62. Alas, he missed it, and his 63 came up one shot shy of forcing extra holes with Brooks Koepka. This time his approach comes up shy of the green and he chips close enough to secure his par. A level-par first nine for the Englishman.
Rory McIlroy leaves his birdie putt on the edge – a level-par first nine for him, too. Ludvig Åberg found the heart of the green but his birdie putt came up 5 feet shy and he … makes it! He stays 1-under through 9.
Mel Reid on TV reveals that she’s just had a word with Rory McIlroy about conditions. His response? “Not bad.” His reasoning? The wind is consistent rather than swirling or gusting. We can hear it on TV, whistling around the mics.
I’ve just taken a spin down the leaderboard. There are 33 Europeans in the field. Consider this: 50 years ago there was only one European in the field – Peter Oosterhuis. Imagine telling that generation how things would change. And imagine telling them that there’d be a first Icelandic golfer playing in 2026.
The Belgian Adrien Dumont de Chassart is nicely placed on level-par through 10. It’s a wonderfully aristocratic name and fits nicely alongside the DP World Tour’s Nicolai Von Dellingshausen (Germany) and Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño (Spain). They sound like the signatories of the 1625 Treaty of Bruges.
Bogey for Åberg at the par-3 17th and we have a five-way tie for the lead on 1-under. Any score in the red today will be a very fine one. Tyrrell Hatton might be up against that target. He’s just hooked an approach into a grandstand. It’s popped out onto scrubland, but he smashes his club down into his bag in frustration.
A double bogey for Brooks Koepka at 8. It always used to be his great secret to playing the US Open (he won it back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, the latter on this week’s course) – avoiding making double bogeys. Modern day Koepka can’t quite manage it and he’s 1-over for the day.
“I’m almost beginning to feel sorry for these guys out here,” says Mel Reid, on-course reporter. “Almost but not quite. It’s really quite nasty out here,” she adds. The Englishwoman has been a really good addition to TV coverage: smart, strong delivery, a nice line in humour.
Ouch. Aussie Cameron Smith – the 2022 Open champion, remember – was pummelled by the 180-yard par-3 7th. His tee shot found sand. So did his second shot. And his third could only find the fairway. His fourth left him 16 feet from the hole and he missed the putt. Smith is now 5-over through 8.
From thick rough 120 yards short of the 620-yard 16th, Tommy Fleetwood has thrashed at the ball with his third blow. It’s not pretty, playing into a blustery wind, but the swing was under control and he has crafted it beautifully to about 10 feet from the flag. Not much in the way of reaction from the galleries but that was the equivalent of sticking a 200-yard shot to 12 inches in a normal PGA Tour week. Can he make the putt and get to level-par for the day? Yes he can!
An update of the leaderboard and Patrick Reed has joined the handful of players under-par. The 7th green is already causing problems, by the way. Balls are oscillating and, if the wind picks up, that might cause a delay to the action. We don’t want that – it should have been both predicted and acted on.
-2: Åberg (6*)
-1: Koepka (7), Reitan (7*, Burns (7*), Reed (5), McIlroy (6*), James (4*), Onishi (3)
At the 620-yard 16th Rory McIlroy clears a bunker from the tee but finds a horrible lie. His feet are perched on a nasty slope high above the sand and there is thick, swaying rough all around him. He hacks it down the fairway. Mel Reid is reporting from the course and notes that the bunker would have been easily cleared in practice. The wind is testing the field – and it is forecast to become more of a factor as the day wears on.
A bogey for Sam Burns at 7 leaves Ludvig Åberg alone at the top o 2-under.
“This is not a true links, but it’s playing like one,” says David Howell as he joins the TV coverage. Ewen Murray is suggesting that 73 will be a good score today and that seems to be a widely held view. The course has been watered, there was fog early and yet the greens are still not receptive so it’s going to get tougher as the day goes on.
Clean cut Ludvig Åberg finds a birdie at 15 by rattling in a 30-foot putt at pace to get to 2-under and join Sam Burns at the top of the leaderboard. Playing partner Rory McIlroy didn’t learn about the line and makes par to stay at 1-under. Tommy Fleetwood cannot save his par and slips to 1-over.
Back on the front nine, Scottie Scheffler joins Fleetwood on 1-over after a bogey.
Scottie Scheffler finds the hay to the right of the 4th. Camera footage from directly above the World No. 1 is remarkable, showing him thrashing the ball from long fescue grass that is swaying in the wind. He misses the green and clips his pitch to the heart of the green, but is not threatening the hole – he’s fighting to make par..
Rory McIlroy found the 1th (his 5th) green. But stopping his lengthy birdie putt was tricky. Like Fleetwood’s approach, there was no resistance in the putting surface and it slips 6-feet by the hole. He makes the par, however. Fleetwood completes his up-and-down for another par. The third man in the group Ludvig Åberg drains a 10-footer for another four.
Tommy Fleetwood, dressed in three shades of beige, takes aim at the green on 5. He and caddie Ian Finnis talked long and hard about the challenge. The ball intially found the putting surface but there was no resistance and the ball just didn’t want to stop. It was like knocking a ball down the M6 and hoping to stop it by the entrance to Sandbach Services. Alas it slipped on and on, leaving him a tricky pitch back to the pin.
Thanks Dave. Sam Burns has flirted with quite a few major championship first round leads in recent times. Dave noted (15.55) that he was right in the thick of things in last year’s US Open. He was also the first round pace setter in this year’s Masters and one shot back of the 54 hole lead in the 2024 Open. Such log books always beg two questions: 1. Is he learning lessons about contending? Or 2. Is there scar tissue?
Meanwhile, at the 523-yard par-4 5th, Rory McIlroy pipes a wonderful drive down the right side of the fairway.
A three-year-old boy was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with critical injuries and is in a stable condition, Cambridgeshire Police said.
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