A peculiar burial site found by archaeologists in England may help shed light on a somewhat poorly documented time in British history, a period between the withdrawal of the Roman forces from Britain during the decline of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms on the island.
The graveyard, located in the vicinity of the city of Leeds, contains both late-Roman and early-Saxon remains, including the remains of an aristocratic Roman woman interred in a lead coffin, according to local media reports.
“The presence of two communities using the same burial site is highly unusual and whether their use of this graveyard overlapped or not will determine just how significant the find is,” David Hunter, principal archaeologist with West Yorkshire Joint Services, said as quoted by one UK newspaper.
“When seen together the burials indicate the complexity and precariousness of life during what was a dynamic period in Yorkshire’s history,” Hunter added.
He also mentioned that the lead coffin discovered at the site is “extremely rare” by itself, “so this has been a truly extraordinary dig.”
The burial site was originally found last spring but the discovery has been kept under wraps until now in order to preserve it while initial tests were being carried out, the newspaper notes.
The lead coffin found at the site is reportedly expected to be put on display at Leeds City Museum for an exhibition dedicated to burial customs around the world.