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.”
Archaeologists had just a two-hour window to dig it out and had to be assisted by specialist rescue teams because of the perilous nature of their task.
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.
Two of the timber remnants, thought to be from a Roman bridge of the River Wye, between what is now the border of England and Wales.
“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
The dig at Exeter Cathedral has included work in the quire, or choir, area
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.
Capstones at the Bryher burial site, which was discovered in 1999.
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.
The sword and mirror found in a 2,000 year-old grave on the island of Bryher.
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.
The human remains were recovered from the Bryher burial site.
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.
An aerial view of the Isles of Scilly, with St Martin’s in center left and Tresco and Bryher in the background.
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.
Affectionately known locally as “The Clumps”, the site is owned and managed by Earth Trust
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”.
A sketch of what researchers believe the small dog would have looked like
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.”
A member of DigVentures holds a brooch also uncovered at the site
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
The burial of the elite Roman man dates to the third or fourth century A.D.
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.”
Archaeologists found a silver crossbow-style brooch in the man’s burial. It was likely used to fasten a cloak.
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.
The remains of the sword and the brooch are visible between the man’s legs.
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?”
A smattering of hobnails from the man’s shoes were found in the burial in Wales.
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!”
2,500-Year-Old Chariot Found – Complete with Rider And Horses
For the second time in two years, an Iron Age chariot has been found buried in a Yorkshire community. The discovery was made in the town of Pocklington, England, at a construction site where more than 200 homes are being built.
As of early October 2018, archaeologists are working to fully excavate the find. Media reports say that not only a chariot but also horse and human remains were discovered.
Simon Usher, managing director at Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, said: “We can confirm that a significant archaeological discovery, featuring an Iron Age horse-drawn chariot, has been made at our development, The Mile in Pocklington.
Careful excavation is ongoing by our archaeologists and a thorough investigation is in the process to date and detail the find.”
View from Pocklington to Burnby Lane.
In a bizarre twist, 18 months ago, another Iron Age chariot was found, along with two horses, at a different construction site in Pocklington. Archaeology Arts reported in 2017: “The chariot was buried as part of a funerary practice that was not uncommon in the Iron Age. However, the horses were a rather surprising addition for archaeologists.”
The Telegraph said that “the find of the remains dating back to 500 BC is the first of its kind in the last 200 years and one of only 26 chariots ever excavated in the UK.”
Chariot burial, illustration.
Archaeologists say it is highly unusual for a horse and chariot to be buried together and with a human.
In 2017, Paula Ware, managing director at MAP Archaeological Practice Ltd, told a reporter, “The chariot was located in the final square barrow to be excavated and on the periphery of the cemetery.”
She continued, “The discoveries are set to widen our understanding of the Arras (Middle Iron Age) culture and the dating of artifacts to secure contexts is exceptional.”
Bronze snaffle bit from the King’s Barrow burial in Yorkshire, now in the British Museum. The tag on the exhibit reads Bronze bridle-bit from the chariot burial known as the King’s Barrow, Arras, East Yorkshire, 200-100 BC. Presented by Sir A. W. Franks. Photo by Ealdgyth CC BY-SA 3.0
A chariot was the possession of a high-status individual. The rite of including horses as part of the burial is being puzzled over by researchers. Before finding the chariot, the dig at the Burnby Lane site revealed artifacts including a sword, shield, spears, brooches, and pots.
The excavations give insight into life over 2,500 years ago. These are thought to be people of the Arras culture.
Yorkshire continues to be the place where astoundingly well-preserved remains of the Arras culture are found. In 2016, some 150 skeletons and their personal possessions were discovered in a small market town at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds.
Illustration of a chariot burial.
Some of the 75 square barrows, or burial chambers, contained personal possessions such as jewelry and weapons, according to The Guardian.
Archaeologists also discovered a skeleton with a shield.
Media reports say those remains were of a man in his late teens or twenties, who died with his sword at his side. Before his death, he reportedly had six spears pressed into him “like a hedgehog.”
It is believed these sites all date to the Iron Age, which in Britain lasted from 800 BC until the time of the Roman conquest, beginning in 43 AD.
An in-depth study will focus on whether the population is indigenous or were recent arrivals from the Continent. Archaeologists also hope to reveal how those buried at the site died and whether or not they are related in any way, as well as potential DNA analysis.
The custom of burying the deceased with their chariots within squares is unknown in the rest of the British Iron Age. Interestingly, the Arras vehicles were usually disassembled, a practice less common in the Continental chariot burials.
Scientists Discover Beheaded Man’s Brain Self-Preserved For 2,600 Years
Researchers worked carefully the Heslington brain.
One of the oldest human brains ever to be discovered was probably preserved for more than 2,000 years thanks to mud, archaeologists claim. The intact Iron Age organ was discovered inside a decapitated skull in York seven years ago and since then experts have conducted tests to explain how the tissue could have stood the test of time.
Tests have revealed that the brain and other remains are 2,600 years old and have survived because the head was buried in a sealed clay pit devoid of oxygen, soon after its owner’s death.
The oldest human brain ever to be discovered, was probably preserved for over 2,000 years thanks to mud, archaeologists claim. The intact organ (pictured) was discovered inside a decapitated skull in York seven years ago and since then experts have conducted tests to explain how the tissue could survive
In 2009, archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust uncovered a skull with the jaw and two vertebrae still attached to it, in Heslington, York. The skull was found face-down in a pit without any evidence of what had happened to the rest of the body.
At first, archaeologists thought they had found a normal skull and it was not until the bones were cleaned that they came across ‘something loose’ inside.
Rachel Cubitt, the Collection Projects Officer said: ‘I peered through the hole at the base of the skull to investigate and to my surprise saw a quantity of bright yellow spongy material.
‘It was unlike anything I had seen before.’
An archaeologist at the University of Bradford confirmed the tissue was the brain and experts from York Hospital’s Mortuary they were able to remove the top of the skull in order to reveal the astonishingly well-preserved human brain.
The skull (pictured) was found face-down in a pit without any evidence of what had happened to the rest of the body. In this image it is still covered in mud, protecting the contents inside
Archaeologists first thought the skull was unremarkable, but upon closer examination, saw the ‘bright yellow spongy material’ which turned out to be a brain. Here, Dr O’Conner examines the remains
They have now carbon-dated the jaw bone to confirm the man probably lived in the 6th century BC. An examination of the teeth and skull revealed he was between 26 and 45 years old when he died.
It appears that he was first hit hard on the neck, which was then severed with a small sharp knife, according to marks on the vertebrae, but experts can only guess why the man died such a violent death.
There has previously been a suggestion that he was hanged, but experts have largely ruled out his head being used as a trophy – which was a grim practice in Iron Age societies – because there are no signs of preservation or smoking.
Speaking two years ago, Sonia O’Connor, research fellow in archaeological sciences at the University of Bradford, said: ‘The hydrated state of the brain and the lack of evidence for putrefaction suggests that burial, in the fine-grained, anoxic sediments of the pit, occurred very rapidly after death.
Scientists said there was no trace on the brain of the usual preservation methods such as embalming or smoking. This x-ray shows the position of the shrunken brain inside the skull
Speaking two years ago, Sonia O’Connor, research fellow in archaeological sciences at the University of Bradford, said: ‘The hydrated state of the brain (pictured) and the lack of evidence for putrefaction suggests that burial, in the fine-grained, anoxic sediments of the pit, occurred very rapidly after death’
‘This is a distinctive and unusual sequence of events, and could be taken as an explanation for the exceptional brain preservation.’
However, the larger mystery is how his brain was preserved naturally, when bodies buried in the ground typically rot because of a mixture of water, oxygen, as well as a temperature allowing bacteria to thrive.
When one or more of these factors is missing, preservation can occur. In the case of the Heslington Brain, the outside of the head rotted as normal, but the inside was preserved. Experts believe the head was cut from the man’s body almost immediately after he was killed and buried in a pit dug in wet clay-rich ground.
This environment provided sealed, oxygen-free burial conditions.
In 2009, archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust uncovered the skull with the jaw and two vertebrae still attached to it, in Heslington, York, (marked on this map)
The skull was found face-down in a pit without any evidence of what had happened to the rest of the body. This image shows archaeologists sifting through the muddy pit at the site near the University of York where the brain was found
While over time, the skin, hair, and flesh of the skull rotted away, the fats and proteins of the brain tissue linked together to form a mass of large complex molecules.
This resulted in the brain shrinking, but it also preserved its shape and many microscopic features only found in brain tissue, they explained.
As there was no new oxygen in the brain and no movement, it was protected and preserved, allowing scientists to study it today.
Speaking two years ago, Sonia O’Connor, research fellow in archaeological sciences at the University of Bradford, said: ‘It is rare to be able to suggest the cause of death for skeletonised human remains of archaeological origin.
‘The preservation of the brain in otherwise skeletonised remains is even more astonishing but not unique.
‘This is the most thorough investigation ever undertaken of a brain found in a buried skeleton and has allowed us to begin to really understand why a brain can survive thousands of years after all the other soft tissues have decayed.’
Giant handaxe discovered at Ice Age site in Kent, UK
Researchers in Kent in southeastern England have discovered a prehistoric handaxe so big it would have been almost impossible to wield as a cutting tool. The handaxe is the third largest ever found in Britain.
Excavations also uncovered artifacts preserved in deep Ice Age sediments on a hillside above the Medway Valley. A total of 800 artifacts were discovered, thought to be more than 300,000 years old and buried in material that filled a sinkhole and an ancient river channel.
The researchers, from UCL Archaeology South-East, unearthed several handaxes, and two of them were giants of a form known as a ficron, characterized by a rounded thick base tapering to a long, finely-worked tip.
One is 22 cm (nine inches) long but missing its tip. The other is 29.5 cm (11.6 inches) long and intact. It is 11.3 cm (4.4 inches) wide at its widest point.
Letty Ingrey, of UCL Institute of Archaeology, said: “We describe these tools as giants when they are over 22cm long, and we have two in this size range.
Some of the artifacts were discovered by archaeologists in Kent.
“The biggest, a colossal 29.5cm in length, is one of the longest ever found in Britain.
These hand axes are so big it’s difficult to imagine how they could have been easily held and used. While right now, we aren’t sure why such large tools were being made, or which species of early humans were making them, this site offers a chance to answer these exciting questions.”
The site is thought to date to a period in the early prehistory of Britain when Neanderthal people and their cultures were beginning to emerge and may even have shared the landscape with other early human species.
While archaeological finds of this age, including another spectacular ‘giant’ handaxe, have previously been discovered in the Medway Valley, this is the first time they have been discovered as part of a large-scale excavation, providing new insights into the lives of their makers.
Amongst the unearthed artifacts were two extremely large flint knives described as “giant handaxes”. Handaxes are stone artifacts that have been chipped, or “knapped,” on both sides to produce a symmetrical shape with a long cutting edge.
Photo: UCL Institute of Archaeology
Dr Matt Pope (UCL Institute of Archaeology), said: “The excavations at the Maritime Academy have given us an incredibly valuable opportunity to study how an entire Ice Age landscape developed over a quarter of a million years ago.
A programme of scientific analysis, involving specialists from UCL and other UK institutions, will now help us to understand why the site was important to ancient people and how the stone artifacts, including the ‘giant handaxes’ helped them adapt to the challenges of the Ice Age environments.”
The research team is now working on identifying and studying the recovered artifacts to better understand who created them and what they were used for.
