In breaking news, archaeologists from the University of Durham have uncovered two rare stone sarcophogi dating to the Roman period in Northeastern England.
The 1800 year old year old sandstone coffins were uncovered at a dig on the site of former chapel and office buildings in Newcastle upon Tyne. They are the first such find – and arguably the most impressive – in the area for more than 100 years.
They are thought to have been used to bury members of a rich and powerful family from the adjacent, walled fort of Pons Aelius, whose West Gate would have been sited just yards away. Hadrian’s Wall would have run to the north of the fort.
The lid of one coffin was opened by Durham University experts on Friday 15 August. Inside, the archaeologists have found the remains of a poorly-preserved adult human skeleton, five teeth, and a jet hairpin in two pieces…
This is truly a great discovery, and one that vividly illustrates why I have chosen this history-rich region to pursue post-graduate studies in Archaeology. I cannot wait to be a part of future discoveries like this one.
See the original news post on the Durham web site: Durham University archaeologists uncover two rare Roman stone sarcophogi.
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Darrell J. Rohl BSc (Hons) (Andrews), MA (Dunelm): I'm a PhD candidate in 