In a small field near a Roman villa in Wales, archaeologists have discovered the skeleton of a man buried face down. Decorated with a silver pin and sword, he may have been a Roman soldier, but large nails on his neck, back, and legs indicate that he was chained at the time of his death.
This and four other burials, dating from the middle of the 3rd to the end of the 4th century, were discovered by the British archaeological firm Red River Archeology during work on the improvement of the road near the town of Barry in south Wales. Archaeologists believe the burials may be linked to the Roman villa Witton Lodge, which was excavated half a century ago.
According to Mark Collard, managing director of Red River Archeology, the man was aged 21-25 at the time of his death and was placed in a rock-cut grave that may have been lined with wooden boards, judging by the fact that the top and bottom of the pit nails were found.
Collard noted that “facing down and very large nails at the back of the head, shoulder, and between the feet may indicate the use of restraints.”
However, the man’s personal adornments — an iron sword, spiked boots, and a silver crossbow brooch — indicate that he may have been an elite member of the Roman army, which contradicts the version of a non-elite or enslaved person.
Evan Chapman, Senior Curator of the Amgueddfa Cymru Archaeological Department of the Museum of Wales, said in a statement that “this is the first example of a Roman silver crossbow brooch found in Wales.” Such brooches, probably used to fasten a cloak, were often associated with the Roman military.
“The presence of the sword confirms the military connection in this case,” Chapman said.
Direct analysis of the bones and teeth of this man allowed us to learn more details about his life. For example, at the time of his death, he was suffering from mastoiditis, a bacterial infection of the mastoid bone located behind the ear. Today, this disease is easily treated with antibiotics, but in Roman times it could have been a death sentence.
Analysis of isotopes — elements with varying numbers of neutrons in the nucleus — of the man’s bones and tooth enamel also showed that he “most likely grew up in the east, possibly on the borders of Wales or beyond,” Rachel Morgan, an archaeologist for the project, said in a statement. Red River Archeology.
So what was this rich man doing on a farm in south Wales when he died?
It is not uncommon for Roman burials to be found outside official cemeteries. But the recumbency of the man, as well as the discovery of a nearby grave with a decapitated man whose skull lay at his feet, according to Collard, are remarkable in that other Roman burials in Britain also indicate “a clear connection between the appearance of burials with a recumbent and a decapitated body.”
For example, in 2021, Knobb’s Farm, another complex of Romano-British cemeteries, north of Cambridge, was found to have a very high number of abnormal burials. Of the 52 burials, 13 (25%) were slanted, and 17 (33%) were beheaded. Researchers began to pay more attention to atypical burials in Western Europe during the Roman period, but so far no single explanation has been found for this type of burial. Whether low-status people, criminals, or those whom the community wanted to reassure that they “won’t die”, interculturally, atypical burials have never been seen as a positive way to bury the dead.
Therefore, this Roman soldier is a kind of mystery that may never be solved.
Interestingly, he was buried in a reclining position, but still retained his “regalia,” says Collard. “There are more questions than answers!”
2023-07-14 13:42:16
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