An unusual ancient burial site was discovered in England, featuring a stone coffin and a body encased in plaster. Check out the photos!

During the preparation of the ground for road construction in England (the United Kingdom), archaeologists stumbled upon an unusual cemetery from the Roman Empire era. While Roman cemeteries are not a rarity in this area, something special caught their attention.

Information about the discovery along the A47 road near Wansford-Sutton was shared by the archaeological company Headland Archaeology. The small cemetery contained 14 graves, with an additional 7 found outside its boundaries.

However, the most intriguing was the central grave. It housed a large stone coffin that was filled with plaster, indicating it might be the burial site of an important and wealthy individual.

Plaster burials are occasionally found in Britain, but they are more characteristic of major centers like York. There, around 45 such graves were discovered, whereas in the rural parts of the country, this is the first occurrence.

It is believed that such burials are associated with affluent individuals, as they typically contain various precious items. However, nothing of the sort was found in this grave. Still, archaeologists pay attention to the beautifully carved coffin made from a single piece of limestone, noting that it likely belonged to someone influential. Furthermore, the stone was sourced from no less than 50 kilometers away from the burial site, adding to the cost of its transportation.

Indirectly supporting the theory of the Romans' wealthy background are the neighboring graves. In one of them, a large quantity of burial inventory was discovered at the feet of the skeleton. Preliminary analysis suggests this was a young woman aged 16-20, and the items may have constituted her dowry. Among these burial goods were a beautiful pair of silver earrings, nine bronze bracelets, three bronze rings, as well as a silver strip and an oval plate, believed to have been the core and setting of a signet ring.

Another affluent grave contained the remains of a child, which, in addition to ten bronze bracelets, included four processed bone bracelets, a crafted bone comb, and a pair of silver earrings.

The other graves revealed signs of cremation, decapitation, infant remains, iron nails—which may indicate the presence of a wooden coffin—and empty graves. All these practices are well-known in Roman burials; however, scholars did not expect to find them all together.

Moreover, the initial assessment suggests that the cemetery existed for a very short period, adding to its peculiarity.

Previously, "The Telegraph" reported on a valuable ancient artifact discovered in Zaporizhzhia. The found fragment of pottery is over five thousand years old and belongs to the Yamna culture.