A 750kg coffin was unearthed in Cambridgeshire (Image: National Highways)
have made a huge breakthrough after incredible discovery was made during a major roadworks scheme.
A team was excavating the site for the new A47 in Cambridgeshire when they found the 750kg hand-carved coffin dating back to Roman times.
Weighing as much as an adult male polar bear, the coffin was unearthed by Headland between Wansford and Sutton on part of the old Roman road that linked key areas of Roman Britain.
The team behind believe they stumbled upon a Roman cemetery during their dig, but more details about the coffin are yet to be revealed.
Chris Griffin, who leads the National Highways program in the east, said: “While our main focus has been on building a road to improve journeys for road users, it’s been extremely satisfying to play a part in uncovering such an unusual archaeological find.”
The coffin dates back 1500 years to Roman times (Image: National Highways)
He added: “At National Highways we take great care in recording and safeguarding the country’s heritage that is uncovered by our works.
“Archaeology belongs to the communities we serve and by working alongside Headland Archaeology, we are delighted to be able to conserve and protect this incredible find for future generations.”
Project Manager David Harrison from Headland Archaeology also spoke of the coffin, calling it “a fascinating find” that stands out in the area.
“Its careful excavation and recording, both in the field and the laboratory, allows us to continue to learn how our Roman ancestors lived and died,” he said.
DON’T MISS [REPORT]
The discovery will take center stage in the upcoming season of Digging for Britain airing today (January 7) at 8 pm on BBC2.
This episode also shows how teams work together to keep these findings safe. For seven months, 52 archaeologists and 20 civil engineers worked on 14 sites along the A47.
The project got help from expert conservation teams too. These included the Museum of London Archaeology, York Archaeology, Heritage 360, CR Conservation, and Clivedon Conservation.
Along with the stone coffin, workers have dug up other stuff on National Highways projects in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Essex which will be shown in upcoming episodes.