‘Truly extraordinary’: Remains of Roman aristocrat found in lead coffin buried in 1,600-year-old cemetery

Archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of a Roman aristocrat in what was described as a “truly extraordinary” find in a 1,600 years old hidden cemetery in northern England. The ancient lead coffin is thought to have contained the remains of a late-Roman aristocratic woman. Additionally, the team during their dig near the town of Garforth in Leeds also unearthed remains of more than 60 men, women and children who lived there more thanthousands of years ago.

According to a statement published by the Leeds City Council, on Monday (March 13) the remains of 62 people, including 23 children were found last year. The cemetery might include people from both the late Roman and early Saxon eras as evidence of their burial customs was found in the graves. It could also indicate early Christian beliefs as well as Saxon burials. The team of archaeologists also found personal possessions such as knives and pottery.

The skeletal remains of the aristocrat are believed to be of a high-status woman from the later years of the Roman Empire. David Hunter, principalarchaeologist with West Yorkshire Joint Services, in the statement said that the “lead coffin itself is extremely rare, so this has been a truly extraordinary dig.”

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In an interview with CNN, Hunter also spoke about how the dig began after a commercial developer submitted an application for planning permission to the council. Subsequently, an archaeological survey of the site was conducted where they found the “very rare” lead coffin. “The lead sheeting is the lining of a larger wooden coffin so it’s a very high status Roman body,” he added. However, the precise location of the cemetery has not been revealed.

The archaeologists also hope that the site will help them gain an insight into the largely undocumented and significant transition between the fall of the Roman Empire which took place around 400 AD and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which came after. “This has the potential to be a find of massive significance for what we understand about the development of ancient Britain and Yorkshire,” said Hunter, in a press release.

He added, “The presence of two communities using the same burial site is highly unusual and whether their use of this graveyard overlapped or not will determine just how significant the find is. When seen together, the burials indicate the complexity and precariousness of life during what was a dynamic period in Yorkshire’s history.” The discovery which was made last spring has been revealed only now since the dig is complete and the team needed to “keep the site safe” for initial tests, the city council explained in the statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

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