Posted on 09/15/2009 11:09:34 AM PDT by decimon
A skeleton, found at one of the most important, but least understood, Roman sites in Britain is puzzling experts from The University of Nottingham.
Dr Will Bowden from the Department of Archaeology, who is leading excavations at the buried town of Venta Icenorum at Caistor St Edmund in Norfolk, said the burial was highly unusual: “This is an abnormal burial. The body, which is probably male, was placed in a shallow pit on its side, as opposed to being laid out properly. This is not the care Romans normally accorded to their dead. It could be that the person was murdered or executed although this is still a matter of speculation.”
The skeleton has been removed for further investigation. Dr Bowden said: “It is an exciting find and once we have cleaned the bones they will undergo a full examination and a range of scientific tests to try and find out how this individual died.”
The Caistor excavations, sponsored by the Foyle Foundation, May Gurney, the Roman Research Trust and South Norfolk Council, have also found evidence of Iron Age as well as early prehistoric occupation some 10,000 years BC. Dr Bowden said: “These excavations have added an enormous amount to what we knew before. There are flints so sharp you could still shave with them – they are so fresh they have barely moved in all that time.”
Excavations were first carried out at Caistor St Edmund in 1929 after aerial photographs picked out the site in the parched fields following an exceptionally dry summer.
Dr Bowden’s work began two years ago. Using the latest technology the team revealed the plan of the buried town at an extraordinary level of detail never been seen before.
The high-resolution geophysical survey used a Caesium Vapour magnetometer to map buried remains across the entire walled area of the Roman town. Dr Bowden worked with Dr David Bescoby and Dr Neil Chroston of the University of East Anglia on the new survey, sponsored by the British Academy. Around 30 local volunteer members of the Caistor Roman Town Project also assisted.
The survey produced the clearest plan of the town yet - confirming the street plan (shown by previous aerial photographs), the town’s water supply system (detecting the iron collars connecting wooden water pipes), and the series of public buildings including the baths, temples and forum, known from earlier excavations.
Caistor lies in the territory of the Iceni, the tribe of Boudica who famously rebelled against Roman rule in AD 60/61. The survey revealed numerous circular features that apparently predate the Roman town.
These are probably of prehistoric date, and suggest that Caistor was the site of a large settlement before the Roman town was built. This had always been suspected because of numerous chance finds of late Iron Age coins and metalwork, but until the survey was carried out there had never been any evidence of buildings.
This summer archaeologists returned to start excavating the site. Dr Bowden said: “To have the opportunity to excavate here is the chance of a lifetime.”
The excavations have attracted more than 2200 visitors in the two weeks it has been open to the public. They will remain open to the public until Saturday 19 September 2009.
— Ends —
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 100 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to RAE 2008, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranks the University 7th in the UK by research power. In 27 subject areas, the University features in the UK Top Ten, with 14 of those in the Top Five.
The University provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's "only truly global university", it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation — School of Pharmacy), and was named ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2008.
Nottingham was designated as a Science City in 2005 in recognition of its rich scientific heritage, industrial base and role as a leading research centre. Nottingham has since embarked on a wide range of business, property, knowledge transfer and educational initiatives (www.science-city.co.uk) in order to build on its growing reputation as an international centre of scientific excellence. The University of Nottingham is a partner in Nottingham: the Science City. Story Credits
More information is available from Dr Will Bowden on +44 (0)115 9514830, or 07733 104737, will.bowden@nottingham.ac.uk
Caistor keister canter ping.
IMO, this person was executed and then thrown into the grave.
That is an incredibly good job of exhumation.
I thought the Roman’s were a cremating people not a group practicing inhumation?
Or perhaps they caught him in the process of rolling over in his grave.
Maybe he was more comfortable on his side.
Looks like murder most foul!
interesting
Maybe they were just being funny!
I teased my husband one night and said,
“When I die - at the viewing have me turned on my
side, because that’s how I like to sleep and I
thought everybody might get a kick out of that”.
Maybe it was a Christian who rolled over in his grave at what has become of Britain.
It looks like a really short person. Not unlike Magnus and Bonosa at St. Martin of Tours in Louisville. Same vintage.
Is it just me or does that skull look enormous in comparison to the body?
It does look big but I think that's normal when the skeleton is in that position.
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Thanks decimon. |
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What’s wrong with having an enormous skull?
That's no skin off me.
Or someone was in a hurry when they buried him.
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