Ancient Skull Once Attributed to Cleopatra’s Sister Identified as Young Boy

New analysis reveals the remains found in Ephesus belong to an 11-14-year-old boy, not Arsinoë IV, Cleopatra’s half-sister and rival.

A skull discovered in 1929 in the Octagon burial chamber in Ephesus, Turkey, was previously speculated to belong to Arsinoë IV, Cleopatra’s half-sister.
Recent research, using CT scans and DNA analysis, identified the remains as those of a male aged 11 to 14, likely from Italy or Sardinia, who suffered from developmental disorders.
The burial site, notable for its prominent location and possible Egyptian-inspired architecture, fueled the earlier connection to Arsinoë IV, but the findings confirm this misidentification.
Radiocarbon dating places the boy's death within Arsinoë's lifetime, but the presence of a Y chromosome and the boy's age ruled out the possibility of the remains being hers.
The study leaves the mystery of Arsinoë IV’s final resting place unresolved, continuing the search for Cleopatra’s ill-fated sister.