Ancient Roman tombs have been excavated by archaeologists and filled with gypsum.
Highway crews recently discovered an ancient Roman cemetery on a highway construction project in England, including a tomb filled with a mysterious substance.
The announcement was made last week by National Highways, the government transport authority in England. The unusual coffin was found on the A47 road linking the West Midlands city of Birmingham with Suffolk.
According to officials, the coffin, made of stone and hand-carved, had been “undisturbed since it was buried in Roman times 1,500 years ago.” Another 23 graves, possibly indicating family or community burial grounds, were found nearby.
The find is part of a “small Roman roadside cemetery” discovered by highway crews working to improve the highway.
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Construction workers in England recently stumbled upon an ancient Roman burial site, officials said. (National Highways (UK))
“The section of the A47 between Wansford and Sutton near Peterborough follows the route of an old Roman road,” said National Highways.
They called the casket, which weighed approximately 1,600 pounds and measured 6½ feet, an “unprecedented find.”
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“Stone boxes are unusual,” the statement explained. “Only about 50 have been found in Roman Britain.”
The coffin was heavy in part because it was filled with a substance called white gypsum, which is used in the production of plaster, archaeologists found. Experts date the coffin from 43 AD to 410 AD but have not determined the exact year it was made, possibly because of the gypsum inside the coffin.
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“It may be the coffin of a high-ranking individual in the local community,” National Highways said.
One coffin contained white gypsum used to make plaster. (National Highways (UK))
“We don’t know exactly why the bodies were wrapped in plaster. It could also indicate the burial of a wealthy person.”
The press release said archaeologists had “carefully” begun the process of removing the bones from the plaster and that some pieces “carried traces of the burial cloth”.
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Interestingly, the plaster also took on the shape of its own body. Experts have found other oddities in the surrounding tombs, including what may be a young woman’s dowry.
“The grave of a young woman contained precious objects, all of which were placed at the feet of the body,” the organization said. “This may be a young woman’s dowry that accompanies the afterlife.
“The tomb contains glass and ceramic drinking vessels, perhaps for a final toast or commemoration at the graveside.”
An ancient Roman image in England around 77 AD (iStock)
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Ancient Roman finds are not uncommon in the UK.
Last fall, a 2,000-year-old road was discovered in London that was built shortly after the Roman invasion of AD 43.
Fox News Digital’s Ashlyn Messer contributed to this report.
