Golf course workers dig up 4,000-year-old tree-trunk coffin with warrior skeleton holding axe

Archaeologists in England have analyzed a half-ton coffin dating to the early Bronze Age that was found under a golf course in Lincolnshire County.

The coffin, cut from a single oak tree and thought to be about 4,000 years old, contained human remains, a hafted axe, and a bed of plant material meant to cushion the body in its eternal slumber.

Maintenance workers discovered the burial in July 2019 while tending to a water hazard at the Tetney Golf Club in Grimsby. The coffin was under a gravel mound, a special situation that indicates a certain amount of community involvement in the burial.

As is standard for objects of historical significance found in England and Wales, the find was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which processes such reports and ensures that the objects are properly handed.

Objects made of old wood (think shipwrecks, coffins, and even ship burials) are prone to disintegration when they are removed from water or soil after millennia and exposed to sunlight and air. To prevent that from happening to the find, the excavated objects were immediately put in bags filled with groundwater, and the coffin was put in cold storage for a year.

Afterward, the coffin was moved to the York Archaeological Trust, where conservators have been working on it and the associated artifacts, including an axe.

“The man buried at Tetney lived in a very different world to ours, but like ours, it was a changing environment; rising sea levels and coastal flooding ultimately covered his grave and burial mound in a deep layer of silt that aided its preservation,” said Tim Allen, a Sheffield-based archaeologist for Historic England, in a York Archaeological Trust press release.

An interesting component of the work was the environmental analysis of the plant bedding.

Hugh Willmott, an archaeologist at the University of Sheffield who participated in the excavations, said on Twitter that moss, yew or juniper, hazelnuts, and leaf buds were found in the coffin.

The types of floral remains indicated that the burial likely took place toward the end of spring, some four millennia ago, when a few woolly mammoths still survived. Willmott said in an email to Gizmodo that the hazelnuts may have been a food offering, while the moss could have been a sort of bed for the deceased.

Not much is currently known about the human remains, though the archaeological team suspects it was an individual of some social importance.

Willmott said that initial attempts to extract DNA have been unsuccessful. Dating the coffin is still ongoing—the archaeologists need to do a combination of dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating, which they can cross-reference to find out the year the tree was felled, give or take a couple of years.

A shockingly well-preserved axe was found with the person; the handle looks like it could have been varnished yesterday. The axe head is a combination of stone and fossilized coral.

Based on the object’s shape and size—the axe head is less than 4 inches across—the team believes it was a symbol of authority rather than a practical tool. There are very few such axes known in Britain, perhaps only 12, according to the York Archaeological Trust, making this one of the most eye-catching elements of the discovery.

The wooden coffin joins some 65-odd objects like those found around England. Preservationists said in the same release that the axe should be fully preserved within the year, but the coffin will take at least two years to fully treat due to the object’s size.

This research comes on the heels of the University of Sheffield’s decision to close its archaeology department, as reported by the BBC in July, and the University of Worcester announcing the closure of its archaeology department, also reported by the BBC.

The Campaign to Save British Archaeology was launched in response to the closures. This trend is a troubling one. Had the Sheffield archaeological team not been close by when the Bronze Age coffin was unearthed, the cultural heritage could’ve quickly deteriorated.

Thanks to the quick thinking of the nearby archaeologists, the objects are being preserved and will be displayed at the Collection Museum in Lincolnshire.

Two Roman Britain swords unearthed – first time two have been found in the ground together

Two Roman Britain swords have been unearthed—the first time a pair has been found together, experts say. The 2,000-year-old ‘rare and important’ Roman cavalry swords, along with wooden scabbards and fitments, were discovered in the Cotswolds.

They were discovered near Cirencester by Glenn Manning during a metal detectorist rally. Experts say they ”can’t think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain”.

The swords were appraised by Professor Simon James from Leicester University who says they are middle imperial Roman swords commonly referred to as a spatha.

They were in use in the Roman world probably by the 160s, through the later second century, and far into the third century AD.

Their considerable length suggests that they are cavalry weapons – meaning they were intended for use on horseback.

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, said: “People famously asked, ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’.

‘Well, they have just given us some amazing examples of weapons used almost 2000 years ago when Cirencester was the second biggest town in Britain.’

”This is truly a remarkable archaeological find and I can’t wait for visitors to see them on display in the years to come.”

It was not illegal for civilians to own such weapons and to carry them for travelling because Roman provinces were plagued with banditry.

Proffessor James, said: “In terms of parallels, I can’t think of finds of more than one sword being deposited in any similar circumstance from Roman Britain.

”The closest that springs to mind was a pair of similar swords found in Canterbury—with their owners, face down in a pit within the city walls, clearly a clandestine burial, almost certainly a double murder.”

Soon after the discovery, Kurt Adams, Finds Liaison Officer, deposited the finds with the Corinium Museum to ensure their preservation.

Historic England is assisting the museum by arranging for the swords to go for further analysis under x-ray.

An archaeological appraisal at the dig site in the north of the Cotswolds may follow to help put the swords into context, as we don’t know why they ended up buried in the Cotswolds.

Rare 2,000-Year-Old Roman Hoard Discovered In Suffolk

Archaeologists report a rare discovery of late Roman pewter plates, platters, bowls, and a cup that have been made in Euston, in the west of Suffolk, UK.

The remains of the vessels were buried in a pit and carefully stacked, suggesting that they were placed as a single group, possibly for safekeeping or an offering.

They have just gone on display at the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Museum, near Bury St Edmunds, until January 2024.

The hoard was discovered in Autumn 2022 by local metal detector user Martin White whilst taking part in an East of England Rally – an organized detecting event.

“I’ve been detecting for about 10 years, and this is the most high-profile find I’ve made so far, it was very exciting! We quickly consulted with the Archaeological Service so that the items could be removed and recorded without being damaged.

It was a privilege to be involved in the whole process, from discovery to excavation to seeing the finds go on display,” White said.

“It is amazing to think that this fragile hoard has survived thousands of years, and being discovered by Martin, that adds to the Suffolk story,” Councillor Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Protected Landscapes and Archaeology said.

“This is a significant discovery. The larger plates and platters were used to allow food to be served communally and the octagonal bowls may have a Christian reference. Similar hoards are found across southern Britain, including from the nearby large Roman settlements at Icklingham and Hockwold,” Faye Minter, Suffolk County Council’s Archaeological Archives and Projects Manager, said in a press statement.

“We are very grateful for the kind donation of this hoard to West Stow Anglo-Saxon village and Museum and thrilled to be able to put it on display for local people to see. It adds a new strand to the story of our past in this area in the later Roman period – at a time just before the settlement at West Stow was beginning,” Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, which runs West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village said.

A 2,000-year-old wooden bridge that once linked England and Wales discovered

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Roman and Anglo-Saxon fortifications in the town of Chepstow in the United Kingdom.

Surprisingly, however, the town was also home to an ancient bridge that connected England and Wales before the formation of the two countries.

Archaeologists discovered the wooden structure while looking for evidence in the shadow of a 950-year-old Norman castle on a muddy bank on the Wye riverbank. Known as the gateway to Wales, Chepstow is a border town steeped in history.

This wooden structure – believed to have been built by the Romans 2,000 years ago – was found preserved in mud following a race against time to uncover it during an ‘extreme low tide event’.

Simon Maddison, of the Chepstow Archaeological Society (CAS), said, “The team were able to locate upright timbers in a tidal pool on the location of the Roman crossing.

Until the results come back, we won’t know for sure the period of the structure. We are thrilled with what we were able to achieve and await dating results with keen anticipation.”

The ancient crossing links a route between Wales and England from around half a mile upstream of Chepstow to the village of Tutshill in Gloucestershire. It served as a vital link between these regions for centuries, long before modern transportation networks existed.

Experts from CAS were given assistance by members of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA).

Discovery was chanced upon by the Chepstow-based archaeology team due to a fortuitous 2-hour ‘extreme low tide event’. Due to the tidal event, these ‘upright timbers’ were located in a tidal pool just off the riverbed.

“Excavating around these we were able to expose very substantial timbers and beautiful joints that are probably part of an original pier and cutwater.

We took timber samples for dendrochronological and possible Carbon-14 dating, but until the results come back, we won’t know for sure the period of the structure,” added Maddison.

The bridge was previously discovered and partially excavated in 1911 by Dr. Orville Owen. It also appeared on an old Ordnance Survey map at around the same time but has been buried in mud ever since.

Medieval Altar Uncovered at England’s Exeter Cathedral

Archaeological excavations at Exeter Cathedral have uncovered hidden features from the building’s Norman past, project leaders have said.

Experts said they were now certain they had found the foundations of the cathedral’s original high altar from the early 12th Century.

An area thought to be a crypt and tombs have also been unearthed.

The dig, in the cathedral’s quire [choir] area, has been carried out before underfloor heating is installed.

‘Exciting archaeological discovery’

Tombs of what are thought to be bishops from the 12th Century and 13th Century have been unearthed.

Two empty tombs excavated are thought to be those of bishops Robert Warelwast and William Brewer, whose remains were moved in 1320.

Cathedral archaeologist John Allan said: “We have found the buried floors of the Norman cathedral, last seen about 700 years ago, with the original high altar.

“Behind the altar, to the east, is a surprisingly deep backfilled area which we think must be a Norman crypt.

“This is surely the most exciting archaeological discovery ever made at Exeter Cathedral.”

The cathedral was founded in 1050, with most of the existing buildings developed from the 12th Century to the 14th Century.

In an earlier dig, archaeologists investigating the cathedral’s historic cloister garden discovered the remains of an early Roman street and timber buildings and a wall of a Roman townhouse.

They described the find as “new clues to Exeter’s distant past”.

Tooth Enamel Analysis Offers Clue to the Identity of Iron Age Warrior

DNA analysis of tooth enamel solves puzzle of 2,000-year-old grave on Bryher also containing sword and mirror.

Scientists have solved the mystery of a 2,000-year-old grave on the Isles of Scilly, raising intriguing questions about warfare in iron age Britain.

For decades archaeologists have puzzled over whether the stone-lined burial chamber, which was discovered in 1999 on Bryher, contained the remains of a man or a woman.

Excavations revealed a sword in a copper alloy scabbard and a shield alongside the remains of the sole individual, objects commonly associated with men. But a brooch and a bronze mirror, adorned with what appears to be a sun disc motif and usually associated with women, were also found. The grave is unique in iron age western Europe for containing both a mirror and a sword.

Now a scientific study led by Historic England has determined the remains are that of a woman, a discovery that could shed light on the role of female warriors during a period in which violence between communities is thought to have been a fact of life.

Original attempts to establish sex by traditional methods, such as DNA analysis, failed because of the disintegration of the bones. All that could be seen of the skeleton was a dark soil stain where the body had once lain, with only small pieces of bone and teeth amounting to about 150g recovered.

Scientific advances, in particular the development of a sophisticated technique at the University of California, Davis, meant it was possible to test tooth enamel, according to research findings published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Dr Glendon Parker, an adjunct associate professor in the department of environmental toxicology at UC Davis, said: “Tooth enamel is the hardest and most durable substance in the human body. It contains a protein with links to either the X or Y chromosome, which means it can be used to determine sex.

This is useful because this protein survives well compared to DNA.

“Our analysis involved extracting traces of proteins from tiny pieces of the surviving tooth enamel. This allowed us to calculate a 96% probability that the individual was female.”

The main form of warfare 2,000 years ago is likely to have been raids – surprise attacks – on enemy settlements. The mirror and weapons found in the grave are all associated with warfare.

It is thought that mirrors may have be used in the iron age for signalling, communicating and coordinating attacks. They also had ritualistic functions, as a tool to communicate with the supernatural world to ensure the success of a raid or “cleanse” warriors on their return.

Dr Sarah Stark, a human skeletal biologist at Historic England, said the findings provided “evidence of a leading role for a woman in warfare on iron age Scilly.

“Although we can never know completely about the symbolism of objects found in graves, the combination of a sword and a mirror suggests this woman had high status within her community and may have played a commanding role in local warfare, organising or leading raids on rival groups.”

Stark added: “This could suggest that female involvement in raiding and other types of violence was more common in iron age society than we’ve previously thought, and it could have laid the foundations from which leaders like Boudicca would later emerge.”

The Bryher sword and mirror are on display at the Isles of Scilly Museum.

Remains of Small Roman Dog Uncovered in England

The remains of a tiny Roman dog have been discovered at a popular walking spot.

An archaeological dig at Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire has uncovered the 1,800-year-old remains of a 20cm tall pooch.

The animal’s remains were unearthed at the site of a villa believed to have been owned by a wealthy Roman family.

Researchers say the dog is one of the smallest found in the UK, and was likely to have been a “much-loved pet”.

The discovery was made at the site of charity Earth Trust’s headquarters by archaeologists from DigVentures, a social enterprise that organizes crowdfunded archaeological excavations.

Hannah Russ, a zooarchaeologist who analyzed the animal remains, said: “While it’s possible that this dog was used for hunting, we know that Romans in other parts of the empire had begun to breed and keep small dogs as pets.

“The fact that this dog was so small and had bowed legs suggests that she probably wasn’t bred for hunting [and] makes it far more likely that she was kept as a house dog, lap dog, or pet.”

Maiya Pina-Dacier, from DigVentures, said the uncovered villa would have been occupied by a “relatively wealthy Roman family, who ran a farm with an assortment of working animals, including hunting or herding dogs – as well as this tiny canine”.

The remains, along with other items from the dig, including a brooch and a copper bracelet, will be displayed for the first time at Earth Trust in August, as part of the Clumps Go Ancient festival.

The Earth Trust said it would include a pop-up exhibition featuring “never-before-seen artefacts” from the dig, and demonstrations to bring to life the discoveries about the people of Wittenham Clumps and their animals.

It said in a statement: “From the Iron Age communities who created the hillfort that is now Castle Hill – and the Roman families who later lived downslope – to the farmers and tenants who manage the land today, this area has been shaped by human use and intervention throughout the ages.”

Elite Roman man buried with a sword may have been ‘restrained’ in death

In an isolated field near a Roman villa in Wales, archaeologists have discovered the skeleton of a man buried facedown. Adorned with a silver pin and a sword, he may have been a Roman soldier — but large nails near his neck, back and feet offer tantalizing evidence that he was restrained at death.

This burial and four others, which date to the mid-third to the late-fourth centuries, were discovered by Red River Archaeology, a U.K.-based archaeological firm, during a road improvement project near the town of Barry in south Wales.

Archaeologists think the burials may be associated with the Whitton Lodge Roman villa, which was originally excavated half a century ago.

The man, estimated to be between 21 and 25 years old at death, was placed in a rock-cut grave that may have been edged with wooden planks, based on the discovery of nails at the top and bottom of the pit, according to Mark Collard, managing director of Red River Archaeology.

In an email to Live Science, Collard noted that “the prone [facedown] position and very large nails at the back of the neck, shoulder and between the feet may indicate restraints.”

Contrary to an interpretation of a non-elite or enslaved individual, though, the man’s personal ornaments — an iron sword, hobnailed boots, and a silver crossbow-style brooch — suggest he may have been an elite member of the Roman military. 

Evan Chapman, senior curator of archaeology at Amgueddfa Cymru — Museum Wales, said in a statement that “this is the first example of a Roman silver crossbow brooch to be found in Wales.” These brooches, likely used to fasten a cloak, were often associated with the Roman military.

“The presence of the sword would support the military connection in this instance,” Chapman said.

Direct analysis of the man’s bones and teeth revealed more details about his life. For example, he was suffering from mastoiditis, a bacterial infection of the mastoid bone behind the ear, when he died. This condition can be cured easily with antibiotics today, but in Roman times, it could have been a death sentence.

An analysis of isotopes — elements with varying numbers of neutrons in their nuclei — of the man’s bone and tooth enamel also showed that he “likely grew up further east, possibly from the Welsh borders or beyond,” Rachel Morgan, a project archaeologist for Red River Archaeology, said in the statement. “So what was this rich man doing on a farm in south Wales when he died?”

It is not unusual to find Roman burials outside of formal cemeteries. But the man’s prone position — as well as the discovery of a nearby grave with a decapitated individual whose skull was placed at their feet — is notable, Collard said, as other Roman Britain burials also suggest a “clear association between the occurrence of prone and decapitated burials.”

For example, another set of Romano-British cemeteries at Knobb’s Farm, just north of Cambridge, was found in 2021 to have had a very high number of burials out of the norm.

Out of the 52 total burials there, 13 (25%) were prone, while 17 (33%) were decapitated. Researchers have begun to pay more attention to patterns of atypical burials in Western Europe during the Roman period, but so far, no single explanation for these kinds of burials has been found.

Whether it was for low-status individuals, criminals, or those their communities wanted to ensure “stayed dead,” cross-culturally, prone burials are never seen as a positive way of disposing of the deceased.

This Roman soldier is therefore something of a mystery — one that may never be solved. “It is interesting that he was buried prone but still with his ‘regalia,'” Collard said. “Raises more questions than answers!”