Archaeologists ponder heavyweight find

Half-tonne coffin containing Roman skeleton discovered in North Yorkshire

   A rare Roman burial could offer archaeologists clues about everyday life for high status Yorkshire folk almost 2,000 years ago.
 
English Heritage and the York Archaeological Trust (YAT) are working together to unravel the secrets of a skeleton contained in a six-foot lead coffin, found recently near Aldborough, three miles south of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.
 
After being alerted to the chance find, archaeologists mounted a major week-long operation to excavate and lift the half-tonne relic from the ground and transport it to a YAT laboratory in York city centre.
 
Experts have now opened the casket’s partially crushed lid to reveal the well-preserved remains of what is most likely a Romano-British adult, who probably lived sometime between the 2nd and 4th centuries. 
 
Finds of this kind are very unusual in Yorkshire and across the country only about 300 Roman lead coffins have been unearthed.

Although no burial goods have been found, the chief scientific treasures are the bones themselves, explained Ian Panter, Principal Conservator with the YAT: “We’ve not yet been able to sex or age the remains, but the skeleton is in pretty reasonable condition. We also have the teeth, which is very important. Thanks to modern technology, we will be able to use these to shed light on the person’s childhood diet and determine whether he or she was born locally, or came from further afield. I’ve only ever worked on one other Roman lead coffin burial, and that was from the south of England 20 years ago, so this really is an exciting find.”
 
The coffin, which reveals few signs of decoration on its surface, was found in a fairly roughly cut stone-lined chamber. Once all the soil is removed, the bones will be carefully extracted and subjected to detailed analysis. The coffin will also be intensively studied.
 
Keith Emerick, English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments, said: “The fact the burial involved an expensive lead coffin signifies the person was perhaps of high status. Funeral practices for such people varied at different times between cremation and interment. We’re keen to see what specialists like osteo-archaeologists can tell us about the bones so we can build a picture of this person’s life.”
 
Aldborough, or Isurium Brigantium, was an important tribal settlement for the Iron Age Brigantes people, who fought heroically, but unsuccessfully, against the Roman invaders.  Despite a rebellious start, the town evolved and became the very model of a prosperous Imperial outpost - the most northerly such town in the Empire - complete with a forum, baths, temple and many fine houses and villas. Some of the walls and two fabulous mosaics still exist at Aldborough Roman Town, which is managed by English Heritage.   

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