• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

Roman stone coffin unearthed during roadworks in UK

by Dario Radley
January 6, 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery takes center stage in the upcoming season of BBC’s Digging for Britain airing tomorrow at 8 pm on BBC2. The new season, showcasing some of the most important archaeological discoveries from the past year, opens with an exceptional unearthing—a huge hand-carved Roman stone coffin, one of the most unique burial finds of the year.

Roman stone coffin as heavy as a polar bear unearthed during roadworks in UK
Carefully removing the Roman stone coffin on the A47. Credit: National Highways

The coffin, weighing 750 kg (about the same as a grown male polar bear), lay untouched for over 1,500 years until a team from Headland Archaeology dug it up. Archaeologists found this amazing artifact during roadworks on the A47 in Cambridgeshire, part of the old Roman road that linked key areas of Roman Britain. As National Highways works to turn the single-lane road into a dual carriageway, they stumbled upon a Roman cemetery near the road.

The huge stone coffin, found while widening the A47 between Wansford and Sutton, had stayed intact in the ground for hundreds of years. The careful digging, led by the Headland Archaeology team, was an amazing mix of engineering skill and historical preservation. Chris Griffin, who leads the National Highways program in the east region, said: “While our main focus has been on building a road to improve journeys for road users, it’s been extremely satisfying to play a part in uncovering such an unusual archaeological find.”

This discovery is part of a bigger plan to make sure that any old or historic items found during road building are recorded and kept safe. National Highways teams up with experts like Headland Archaeology to document and protect these treasures. Griffin added, “At National Highways we take great care in recording and safeguarding the country’s heritage that is uncovered by our works. Archaeology belongs to the communities we serve and by working alongside Headland Archaeology, we are delighted to be able to conserve and protect this incredible find for future generations.”

Roman stone coffin as heavy as a polar bear unearthed during roadworks in UK
The Roman stone coffin under excavation. Credit: National Highways

Project Manager David Harrison from Headland Archaeology also spoke of the find, calling it “a fascinating find” that stands out in the area. “Its careful excavation and recording, both in the field and the laboratory, allows us to continue to learn how our Roman ancestors lived and died,” he remarked.

RelatedStories

Roman-era settlement and mysterious burial unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld

Roman-era settlement and mysterious burial unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld

June 14, 2025
Fried thrushes were ancient Roman street food in Mallorca, not just an elite delicacy, study finds

Fried thrushes were ancient Roman street food in Mallorca, not just an elite delicacy

June 11, 2025

This episode also shows how teams work together to keep these findings safe. For seven months, 52 archaeologists and 20 civil engineers joined forces at 14 sites along this part of the A47. The project got help from expert conservation teams too. These included the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), York Archaeology, Heritage 360, CR Conservation, and Clivedon Conservation.

This amazing find is part of a bigger effort to find and keep old sites safe during road building. Along with the stone coffin, workers have dug up other cool stuff on National Highways projects in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Essex. These finds will be shown in upcoming Digging for Britain shows.

The twelfth series of Digging for Britain promises to take viewers on a thrilling ride into the ancient world showcasing even more jaw-dropping finds from all over the UK.

More information: National Highways

Share3Tweet2Share1ShareSend

You May Also Like...

DNA reveals Poland’s first kings may have Scottish origins, challenging founding myths
Anthropology

DNA reveals Poland’s first kings may have Scottish origins, challenging founding myths

June 15, 2025
Ancient Xiaohe boat burials reveal symbolic water journey into the afterlife, new study finds. (Illustration by Anja Schorneck). Credit: Caspari, G., Asian Archaeology (2025)
Anthropology

Ancient Xiaohe boat burials reveal symbolic water journey into the afterlife, new study finds

June 14, 2025
Roman-era settlement and mysterious burial unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld
Anthropology

Roman-era settlement and mysterious burial unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld

June 14, 2025
6,200-year-old ‘cone-headed’ skull found in Iran reveals cranial modification and death by blunt force
Anthropology

6,200-year-old ‘cone-headed’ skull found in Iran reveals cranial modification and death by blunt force

June 13, 2025
France’s deepest shipwreck found: 16th-century vessel discovered off Ramatuelle. Credit: DRASSM / National Navy
Archaeology

France’s deepest shipwreck found: 16th-century vessel discovered off Ramatuelle

June 13, 2025
Mysterious pits on 2-million-year-old fossil teeth unlock clues to human evolution
Anthropology

Mysterious pits on 2-million-year-old fossil teeth unlock clues to human evolution

June 12, 2025

Comments 8

  1. Editorial Team says:
    55 years ago
    Disclaimer: This website is a science-focused magazine that welcomes both academic and non-academic audiences. Comments are written by users and may include personal opinions or unverified claims. They do not necessarily reflect the views of our editorial team or rely on scientific evidence.
    Reply
  2. Robert Sutton says:
    5 months ago

    We all become a relic of the past ..but it would be nice to be remembered for a while…its just a shame that mankind make present day bad decisions and never learn ,from the past waste of life

    Reply
  3. Paul brown says:
    5 months ago

    Sadly I have no clue as to what a grown male polar bear would weigh

    Reply
    • Robert Mort says:
      2 months ago

      can’t you read? it says 750kg

      Reply
    • Christine Pryce says:
      2 months ago

      I agree, it’s the most peculiar choice of illustration. These comparisons are supposed to be illuminating – they’re best using comparisons to most people’s everyday experience. Which , for most folk, doesn’t include weighing polar bears…

      Reply
      • Archaeology News says:
        2 months ago

        Thank you for your feedback. We base our reports on reliable sources and interviews with the project team. The weight comparison to a polar bear was mentioned in the original news release by the excavation company, which we quoted.

        Reply
  4. Eddie Cotter says:
    5 months ago

    Excellent & Exciting
    Keep up the great work

    Reply
  5. Colleen Taylor says:
    5 months ago

    It is remarkable, that we can manage with resources never known before, to find out so much about the past, it is equally remarkable and tragic! ….that people in positions of power never heed events from history. There is a wealth of warnings to be gleaned from many past events. Was it Churchill who said? ( paraphrased) ‘ if you wish to know the future, look to the past’.

    Reply
  6. Macie Corballis says:
    3 months ago

    Thanks for all the good stuff, some old, some v old , and some as recent as WW2…sad even after all these years fir the flyer…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow us


Instagram
247K

Facebook
108K

Threads
42K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

May 28, 2025
Viking-era boat burial unearthed in Norway reveals 1,100-year-old remains of woman and her dog

Viking-era boat burial unearthed in Norway reveals 1,100-year-old remains of woman and her dog

June 9, 2025
Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

May 17, 2025
maya-collapse-was-transformation-

Ancient DNA reveals Maya collapse was a transformation, not extinction

June 1, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

DNA reveals Poland’s first kings may have Scottish origins, challenging founding myths

DNA reveals Poland’s first kings may have Scottish origins, challenging founding myths

June 15, 2025
Ancient Xiaohe boat burials reveal symbolic water journey into the afterlife, new study finds. (Illustration by Anja Schorneck). Credit: Caspari, G., Asian Archaeology (2025)

Ancient Xiaohe boat burials reveal symbolic water journey into the afterlife, new study finds

June 14, 2025
Roman-era settlement and mysterious burial unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld

Roman-era settlement and mysterious burial unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld

June 14, 2025
6,200-year-old ‘cone-headed’ skull found in Iran reveals cranial modification and death by blunt force

6,200-year-old ‘cone-headed’ skull found in Iran reveals cranial modification and death by blunt force

June 13, 2025
France’s deepest shipwreck found: 16th-century vessel discovered off Ramatuelle. Credit: DRASSM / National Navy

France’s deepest shipwreck found: 16th-century vessel discovered off Ramatuelle

June 13, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.