Wear and Tear in Roman Wiltshire
Keith Nurse explores the excavations of recently-discovered Roman remains
Conservation staff in Wiltshire are now working on a group of highly distinctive burial finds and human remains from a walled Romano-British cemetery uncovered by archaeologists at Purton, near Swindon.
The post-excavation analysis has already established that the site, discovered by accident during building work at the rear of a hospital, is one of national importance.
On the outside of the substantial mortared wall that enclosed the 40 metres by 30 metres cemetery, the excavators found post-holes indicating the presence of what had been supports for a verandah-type walkway, with flint cobbles serving as a walking surface.
Only a small number of bodies were recovered, but three of these were conspicuously rich burials – and all were female. The most outstanding took the form of an elaborate and unique three-part cremation in a stone sarcophagus. Within a recess lay a decorated cylindrical lead urn – it bears two moulded scallop shells on its body – and this, in turn, contained a fine blue-green glass cremation jar with a large, irregular shaped rim.
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