Archaeologists conducting excavations ahead of improvements to the M5 have uncovered an unusual Roman burial ground containing more than 100 burials.
The discovery was made near Junction 10 of the M5, close to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, during archaeological investigations associated with the £407 million junction improvement scheme.
Excavations by Archaeological Research Services (ARS) have revealed evidence spanning several periods, including the Palaeolithic, Roman and Anglo-Saxon eras.
Among the most significant discoveries is a cemetery believed to date primarily from the Roman period, although burials representing different periods, cultures and potentially religious traditions have also been identified.
According to archaeologists, more than half of the burials display unusual funerary practices, including decapitated individuals and people interred in crouched positions.
Ada Torka-Lis, Project Officer for Archaeological Research Services, said: “What’s unique about it is we found a lot of burials that are non-normative; some of them were decapitated, some of them were crouched.”
Such burials are known from elsewhere in Roman Britain, but normally represent only a small proportion of individuals within a cemetery.
“Normally, on the Roman cemeteries, we would only find a few percent of burials that are non-normative. So far, on this whole site, we probably found more than 100 burials in total, with more than 50 non-normative burials, which is quite unique,” said Torka-Lis.
Archaeologists have also recovered a collection of well-preserved artefacts, including brooches, bracelets, ceramics, bricks and tiles.
The human remains and associated finds will now undergo specialist analysis. Researchers will examine the human and animal bones, coins and other archaeological material to establish a more detailed chronology and better understand the communities represented at the site.
The unusually high concentration of non-normative burials could provide new evidence for funerary practices and cultural traditions in Roman Britain.
Torka-Lis said that although further analysis is required before the importance of the site can be fully determined, the discoveries are likely to be of national significance.
“We found a lot of stuff that’s very, very unique and I haven’t seen it anywhere else in the UK, so it’s very, very likely,” she said.
Julian Tooke, Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet member for business, economic development, planning and infrastructure, said the discoveries were helping archaeologists reconstruct previously unknown stories about the region’s past.
“Your history is under your feet,” said Tooke. “What I love about it is it’s telling stories; the dead are speaking, in a way, and telling us stories about the past which we never realised.”
The archaeological investigations are being undertaken as part of the M5 Junction 10 improvement scheme, which is scheduled for completion in 2029.
Sources : BBC