Enigmatic Bronze Discs with Lion Heads Found in a Roman Tomb Baffle Archaeologists

A team of archaeologists made a singular discovery at the ancient site of Khirbat Ibreika, in southern Israel: four bronze discs with lion heads in relief, accompanied by rings that served as handles. These objects, found in a tomb from the Roman period (1st–2nd centuries CE), have raised numerous questions about their function and meaning. Were they mere decorations, did they serve a practical purpose, or did they hide a religious or cultural symbolism?

During an emergency excavation in 2018, researchers found eight Roman-era tombs at Khirbat Ibreika. One of them, Tomb T6, was sealed and contained bone remains, twelve glass vessels, an iron nail, and, most strikingly, the four discs with lion heads and their rings. These objects were stacked in one corner of the tomb, suggesting they were intentionally placed there, perhaps as part of a funerary ritual.

The discs, made of bronze, display lion faces with unique details: some have eyes looking upward, others forward, and their expressions vary slightly.

lion-headed discs roman tomb — Interior of Tomb T6, with the bronze objects at its southern end, looking south; note the accumulation of glass vessels from the first–second centuries CE at center. Credit: A. Peretz

The most curious aspect is that the rings are not inserted into the lion’s mouth, as seen in other similar finds, but at the top of the head, a detail that could be key to understanding their function.

What were these lion-head handles used for?

Archaeologists are considering several theories. The most accepted is that these discs were decorative handles from a wooden coffin that did not survive the passage of time.

The rings would have made it easier to transport the coffin, possibly by inserting wooden rods to carry it among several people. This would explain why the handles are large and sturdy, designed to bear weight.

Another possibility is that the discs held a symbolic meaning. In the Roman world, the lion represented strength, nobility, and protection. It was commonly seen on doors, palaces, and tombs, where it was believed to guard the passage to the afterlife. Some experts suggest that these handles may have been an amulet to protect the deceased on their journey to the other world.

The fact that only one of the eight excavated tombs contained these objects suggests that the deceased was someone special, perhaps a person of high social or military status.

During the Roman era, the cult of Mithras, a mysterious religion popular among soldiers, used symbols such as the lion and the bull in its rituals.

Although there is no direct evidence linking these handles to Mithraism, the presence of a lion in a funerary context opens the door to spiritual interpretations.

It has also been considered that the deceased may have belonged to the Samaritan community, an ethno-religious group that inhabited the region. However, Samaritans usually avoided animal representations for religious reasons, which makes this theory less likely.

Despite the clues, the exact purpose of these handles remains a mystery. Why were they stacked in a corner of the tomb instead of attached to the coffin? Were they part of a ritual we do not yet understand? Archaeologists hope that future discoveries will help answer these questions.

In the meantime, the finding at Khirbat Ibreika reminds us that, even after two thousand years, the objects of the past still have stories to tell.

SOURCES

Haddad, Elie and Zwiebel, Elisheva (2025) Unique Lion-Headed Handles from a Roman-Period Cist Tomb South of Khirbat Ibreika, ‘Atiqot: Vol. 117, Article 9. doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.2257