In Rome in the spring of 1889, while in the process of building what would become the Palace of Justice, a burial vault was discovered eight metres under the earth and inside was a sarcophagus. The Tiber River had overflowed and the coffin was in water;
when they removed the cover, they saw the remains of a female, her head turned to face the browned ivory doll lying by her side. The funerary inscription simply read: Crepereia Tryphaena, her name.
She was buried in what was thought to be her wedding dress and a few other accessories, and her age was determined to be about thirteen. The manner of her death is unknown. On her finger was a golden ring with the name Filetus inscribed on it.
They believe that because she was buried with her doll, it is possible the ceremony had not actually taken place yet. Due to the custom of offering a toy to Venus or the Lares on the wedding day.
The doll wore its own wedding ring on its finger and had probably once worn a dress similar to the girl. Attached to the ring on the doll’s finger was a key that opened a tiny box, with its own belongings mirroring those of the girl it belonged to.