The bones were described as curled at the bottom of the dolium — a position consistent with someone who had climbed into the jar and either crouched or curled to fit within the vessel’s interior.

This is not the position of a person who was placed in the jar after death; the physical dimensions of the space and the posture of the bones are most consistent with someone who entered the vessel while still alive.

This matters for understanding the scenario.

If the person had died elsewhere and been placed in the jar postmortem, the posture would likely be different, and the circumstantial evidence suggesting he entered alive would need to be explained differently.

The two iron knives found with the remains add a layer of interpretation that has drawn significant attention.