The skeletal remains of an unidentified woman believed to be more than 1,000 years old have been unearthed in an ancient lead sarcophagus in a previously undiscovered 1600-year-old cemetery near the town of Garforth in Leeds, England, in partnership with West Yorksihe Joint Services and Leeds City Council, in a written statement yesterday. . The woman whose remains were found is thought to be an aristocrat from the late Roman period. In addition, the remains of more than 60 people, including men, women and children, were found in the area unearthed by a team of archaeologists. The remains are thought to belong to people from both the late Roman and early Saxon periods, as burial customs from both periods are found in the tombs.
According to the statement, the discovery was made in the spring of last year, but due to the ‘need to keep the area safe’, the statement is now made. Excavation at the site, the exact location of which has been kept secret, was initiated by the earlier discovery of late Roman stone buildings and a small number of Anglo-Saxon style structures near the site. It was stated that the excavation has been completed, along with detailed chemical tests, expert examination of the remains will be carried out, including carbon dating to establish precise time periods.
IT CAN shed light on an era in British history
It was stated that the discovery could help unlock the secrets of one of the most important periods in British history. It was also expressed that archaeologists hope the tomb will help them understand the largely undocumented and extremely important transition between the fall of the Roman Empire around 400 AD and the establishment of the famous Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that followed.
“LEAD Coffin is EXTREMELY RARE”
David Hunter, chief archaeologist at West Yorkshire Joint Services, said of the discovery:
“This has the potential to be a find of great importance to what we understand about the development of ancient Britain and Yorkshire. The existence of two communities using the same burial site is extremely unusual, and whether their use of this cemetery overlaps will determine how important the find is. When the burials are seen together.” “It shows the complexity and instability of life during a dynamic period in Yorkshire history. The lead coffin itself is extremely rare, so this has been a truly extraordinary excavation.”
– England