London, Sep 16 (Inditop.com) A skeleton found at one of the most important but least understood Roman sites in Britain is puzzling experts.
University of Nottingham archaeologist Will Bowden who is leading excavations at the buried town of Venta Icenorum at Caistor St Edmund in Norfolk described the burial as highly unusual.
“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,” he said.
The skeleton has been removed for further investigation. 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.”
“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,” said Bowden.
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, said a Nottingham University release.
Bowden’s work began two years ago. Using the latest technology the team revealed the plan of the buried town at a level of detail not seen before.
Bowden worked with David Bescoby and 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.
