@Gunnarsguns afraid i cannot agree with you on that. I think a lot of knowledge can be obtained from these digs. My mother died from myeloma and i found it somewhat a comfort when a a dig at a Roman cemetary unearthed a roman soldier who had also died of the disease 2000 years ago. Excavations such as this not only help us learn about the lives of our ancestors but also enable us to track the history of certain diseases. Provided the remains are treated with dignity and respect then it is right.
I'm sure there's alot of people that don't like the idea of being unearthed after they die but if achealogists didn't do what they do then there's alot about history we wouldn't know.
Hey, that's a fabulous idea. Then when the construction crew comes in to dig the foundation for that new building or parking lot, the big equipment can slice through all the buried bodies...men, women and children....and scatter their body parts all over. Now THAT'S respect for the dead.
To all of you who are so 'upset'; In many countries it is required by law before a strip mall, a parking lot, or even a housing development may be constructed that it be tested for any archaeological evidence. This prevents archaeological history from being destroyed and gives us further education about ancient cultures.
This just pisses me off. Why cant people just let the dead rest. Why go and desecrate their graves. this is their final resting place LEAVE IT ALONE. If i ever found out that someone had dug up my family members grave, I would be seeing them in court., I dont care how long agao it was. THIS IS NOT RIGHT
There is nothing wrong with what this team is doing, as long as the grave and the remains are treated with dignity. If someone digs up your family members 2000 years from now, even if it were possible for you to still be around, YOU would be the news...not the excavation of a grave.
ohoho,lets desecrate the grave of these people.oh how funny looking at the ancient people and snear and laugh about it as we google at them and disturb thier rest.grave robbers
the only reason it "slipped" the vault cover after how many years the earth ground shifts a few inches.... Is she trained at all in Funeral Service/Science? i think not lolol
A real coffin (tub shaped), that's generally pretty rare to find in necropolis and UK particularly. Usually after discovery these sites are mapped and any object removed before covering it again. But i assume that was exceptional because the coffin and because under sure future of destruction. Have you found further more in the same site?
The reason the dig was done is because the burials were going to be destroyed by building and the archaeologists get permission to excavate the burials first (you can see some of the new houses in the background). Archaeologists need to wear reflective clothing and so on because they are on a building site.
Thanks for everyone's comments. While we prepare a more detailed response, for those interested in the reasons the coffin was excavated, please see our earlier comments (currently on page 3).
whats the difference between archeology and grave robbing? I can see studying the remains but afyerwards leaving them where they were buried. Just because they weren't our relative or that they died 1800 years ago doesn't meanthey shouldn't be respected
good.but whay scientistes & archeologues dont entereste decouvring ruins & restes of roman sevilisation in algeria.i know ruines of citys & tombs.catacombes(composite tombes)unknown from unisco & any archeologuists
mmmmmmm Always unsure about this sort of thing. At the end of the day it's unlawful exumation and what about RIP? Reflective clothing and HARD HATS. whats that about? Only heaven could drop things from above! No Latex gloves, quite normal for archiologist's. Skin sweat, body fluids and salt to contaminate everything. And a load of verbal assumptions and bullshit!
'Excitable' and no sign of respect is being shown for yet another reckless exhumation. I thought when we were laid to rest that's exactly where we should stay.
What will they do with the remains? Donate them to the Medical museum where Joseph Merrick has never been allowed a grave?
It's unlawful to exhume a coffin for certain reasons, yes. But I haven't heard of it being unlawful to exhume ancient burial sites for scientific purposes.
My brother is an archaeologist and is required to wear safety gear. Hard hat, reflective vest/jacket, etc. Not that the heavens will fall, but for insurance/liability reasons through his company to guard against lawsuits. Many professions have the same requirement.
Great video, thanks for sharing it! Without wishing to be disrespectful to the archaelogists here, it does illistrate how much archaelogy is still very much 'glorified treasure hunting with some science thrown in'
I've always been uncomfortable with excavation of graves like this, just seems a real shame to basically wreck the grave of a mother and child just for a pair of sandles! (is the grave really that unique?) which will probably sit in a museum basement - Great film though thanks.
This is not something we do everyday, there are relatively few Romano-British stone coffins in Britain, and the whole process was very interesting and informative. Fascinating though it was to do this was not the reason for lifting the remains of the burial. As you will probably notice from several of the shots in the film the archaeological excavations were on a building site - a large housing estate was and still is being constructed.
The sarcophagus itself lay directly in the path of a roadway (the line of which can been seen heading in that direction in the background of several shots). This grave and all the others excavated on the site would have been destroyed as part of the construction process, hence the archaeological project in advance of construction.
The majority (c. 85-95%) of all ancient human remains lifted in the UK are removed in advance of housing and road construction.
The alternative to the archaeological works would be unrecorded destruction and removal by mechanical diggers during that construction. Where possible mitigation strategies are employed to try and avoid cemeteries, but this is not always feasible.
Archaeologists rarely disturbed human remains which are under no other treat than from the archaeologists themselves and haven't for many years now, certainly not since the implementation of PPG16 in the 1980s when the provision to undertake any necessary archaeological works came under the aegis of the planning system.
The coffin will not languish in a museum basement. It is currently on display at Salisbury museum where it will ultimately be joined by the other finds from the coffin - excluding the human remains which are too delicate - and an interpretation of how this has improved our understanding of these fascinating people, their mortuary rites and social interaction.
I hope this goes someway to reinstate us in your esteem!
Thanks for the explaination, thats fair enough (and hey - the romans had a history of not caring what they built over either!). Glad the coffin will be on display!
One of my pet hates is thousands of artifacts hidden away beyond reach! I am sure one day people will re-excavate museuem basements!! :)
I still feel that developers shouldn't be able to just 'destroy a burial ground' though, they should be made to construct buildings over the top! ridiculous when the council makes me use wheat straw on my my roof (rather than reed) but lets them destroy a roman cemetry!!? where's the logic in it all grrr!
so, this is how we get. We turn into dust! into earth...
Terramusic0 1 year ago 3
Dust in the wind.
TopJimmyWinn 2 years ago 3
Whoa. At first I was like, "Why is the coffin empty ._." but then I realized they're really in there in that dirt or whatever xP That's scary :O
ThatFLiPKiD 2 years ago 2
This is exactly why im being creamated.If you are more than 300 years old you are an archealogical discovery and not a grave. Leave the dead to rest
Gunnarsguns 2 years ago 3
@Gunnarsguns afraid i cannot agree with you on that. I think a lot of knowledge can be obtained from these digs. My mother died from myeloma and i found it somewhat a comfort when a a dig at a Roman cemetary unearthed a roman soldier who had also died of the disease 2000 years ago. Excavations such as this not only help us learn about the lives of our ancestors but also enable us to track the history of certain diseases. Provided the remains are treated with dignity and respect then it is right.
Scooby71Doo 2 years ago 2
I'm sure there's alot of people that don't like the idea of being unearthed after they die but if achealogists didn't do what they do then there's alot about history we wouldn't know.
justusleejolliffe 1 year ago 4
how about reburying them afterwards?
thedukeofantioch 2 years ago 7
Hey, that's a fabulous idea. Then when the construction crew comes in to dig the foundation for that new building or parking lot, the big equipment can slice through all the buried bodies...men, women and children....and scatter their body parts all over. Now THAT'S respect for the dead.
xabbess 2 years ago 4
Why are they disturbing these graves?!?
zen837 2 years ago
To all of you who are so 'upset'; In many countries it is required by law before a strip mall, a parking lot, or even a housing development may be constructed that it be tested for any archaeological evidence. This prevents archaeological history from being destroyed and gives us further education about ancient cultures.
xabbess 2 years ago 18
That is so true,people would be amazed if they knew that many archeological discoveries are made by mistake by construction companies.
sevteo 2 years ago 6
thats nasty it was already decomposing
littleaskater137 2 years ago
Silly. It's beyond decomposition. It's nearly 2000 years old!
xabbess 2 years ago 6
this video is super long but super intresting
0411ada 2 years ago
This just pisses me off. Why cant people just let the dead rest. Why go and desecrate their graves. this is their final resting place LEAVE IT ALONE. If i ever found out that someone had dug up my family members grave, I would be seeing them in court., I dont care how long agao it was. THIS IS NOT RIGHT
tweetybird61774 2 years ago
There is nothing wrong with what this team is doing, as long as the grave and the remains are treated with dignity. If someone digs up your family members 2000 years from now, even if it were possible for you to still be around, YOU would be the news...not the excavation of a grave.
xabbess 2 years ago 3
ohoho,lets desecrate the grave of these people.oh how funny looking at the ancient people and snear and laugh about it as we google at them and disturb thier rest.grave robbers
thedukeofantioch 2 years ago
if i was the roman id be unhappy about being dug up on camera.
thedukeofantioch 2 years ago
Interesting....I had no idea there were cameras that long ago.
xabbess 2 years ago
the only reason it "slipped" the vault cover after how many years the earth ground shifts a few inches.... Is she trained at all in Funeral Service/Science? i think not lolol
RAYUSAWI30 2 years ago
ok lady, get on with it so we can see the corpse.
themarkmarcus 2 years ago 35
A real coffin (tub shaped), that's generally pretty rare to find in necropolis and UK particularly. Usually after discovery these sites are mapped and any object removed before covering it again. But i assume that was exceptional because the coffin and because under sure future of destruction. Have you found further more in the same site?
assandthem 3 years ago
Interesting find,.. :-)
fromheretoglory 3 years ago
Excellent stuff. Regards to all, and for your efforts on Time Team!
greatwesternsaabs 3 years ago
The reason the dig was done is because the burials were going to be destroyed by building and the archaeologists get permission to excavate the burials first (you can see some of the new houses in the background). Archaeologists need to wear reflective clothing and so on because they are on a building site.
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago 10
Thanks for everyone's comments. While we prepare a more detailed response, for those interested in the reasons the coffin was excavated, please see our earlier comments (currently on page 3).
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago 4
whats the difference between archeology and grave robbing? I can see studying the remains but afyerwards leaving them where they were buried. Just because they weren't our relative or that they died 1800 years ago doesn't meanthey shouldn't be respected
MarkCox73 3 years ago 2
They would have been destroyed! There are graves under lakes and you want to talk about respect? ha!
CountryGentleman83 2 years ago
This is really fascinating! I love this kind of stuff, hehe.
Fabala20 3 years ago
let them rest in peace
Tbizzle58 3 years ago
there soul is gone. They are at rest
TermsOfUseable 3 years ago
good.but whay scientistes & archeologues dont entereste decouvring ruins & restes of roman sevilisation in algeria.i know ruines of citys & tombs.catacombes(composite tombes)unknown from unisco & any archeologuists
ilyes1113 3 years ago
mmmmmmm Always unsure about this sort of thing. At the end of the day it's unlawful exumation and what about RIP? Reflective clothing and HARD HATS. whats that about? Only heaven could drop things from above! No Latex gloves, quite normal for archiologist's. Skin sweat, body fluids and salt to contaminate everything. And a load of verbal assumptions and bullshit!
Harvey030547 3 years ago 2
You have saved me writing that comment in depth.
'Excitable' and no sign of respect is being shown for yet another reckless exhumation. I thought when we were laid to rest that's exactly where we should stay.
What will they do with the remains? Donate them to the Medical museum where Joseph Merrick has never been allowed a grave?
lecturerob 3 years ago
grave sites run out man, how long till you think the 6ft surface of the earth fills up with corpses?
wewantwebber420 3 years ago
It's unlawful to exhume a coffin for certain reasons, yes. But I haven't heard of it being unlawful to exhume ancient burial sites for scientific purposes.
Fabala20 3 years ago
Comment removed
KillerPenguinNo1 2 years ago
My brother is an archaeologist and is required to wear safety gear. Hard hat, reflective vest/jacket, etc. Not that the heavens will fall, but for insurance/liability reasons through his company to guard against lawsuits. Many professions have the same requirement.
xabbess 2 years ago 4
I am facinated by this. i am going to be an archeologist when i grow up. i am 13 and i have had this decided when i was 5.
3rin420 3 years ago 2
can they use the bones for genetic analysis??
atpforever1 3 years ago
what a treat Roman coffins in the UK :)
Darkwolfy88 3 years ago
crazy
sillyblackguy 3 years ago
err when did this take place ??
i live in amesbury(Boscombe Down) and did not hear about this !
mrsmozza 3 years ago
then watch out to your house basement :-)
assandthem 3 years ago
lalalalal.....i luv it
1nellie 3 years ago
If you need a good detectorist on hand, just ring me! 8-]
chchchuckles 3 years ago
Great video, thanks for sharing it! Without wishing to be disrespectful to the archaelogists here, it does illistrate how much archaelogy is still very much 'glorified treasure hunting with some science thrown in'
I've always been uncomfortable with excavation of graves like this, just seems a real shame to basically wreck the grave of a mother and child just for a pair of sandles! (is the grave really that unique?) which will probably sit in a museum basement - Great film though thanks.
LUNARTICK007 3 years ago
Glad you enjoyed the video.
This is not something we do everyday, there are relatively few Romano-British stone coffins in Britain, and the whole process was very interesting and informative. Fascinating though it was to do this was not the reason for lifting the remains of the burial. As you will probably notice from several of the shots in the film the archaeological excavations were on a building site - a large housing estate was and still is being constructed.
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago
The sarcophagus itself lay directly in the path of a roadway (the line of which can been seen heading in that direction in the background of several shots). This grave and all the others excavated on the site would have been destroyed as part of the construction process, hence the archaeological project in advance of construction.
The majority (c. 85-95%) of all ancient human remains lifted in the UK are removed in advance of housing and road construction.
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago
The alternative to the archaeological works would be unrecorded destruction and removal by mechanical diggers during that construction. Where possible mitigation strategies are employed to try and avoid cemeteries, but this is not always feasible.
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago
Archaeologists rarely disturbed human remains which are under no other treat than from the archaeologists themselves and haven't for many years now, certainly not since the implementation of PPG16 in the 1980s when the provision to undertake any necessary archaeological works came under the aegis of the planning system.
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago
The coffin will not languish in a museum basement. It is currently on display at Salisbury museum where it will ultimately be joined by the other finds from the coffin - excluding the human remains which are too delicate - and an interpretation of how this has improved our understanding of these fascinating people, their mortuary rites and social interaction.
I hope this goes someway to reinstate us in your esteem!
wessexarchaeology 3 years ago
Thanks for the explaination, thats fair enough (and hey - the romans had a history of not caring what they built over either!). Glad the coffin will be on display!
One of my pet hates is thousands of artifacts hidden away beyond reach! I am sure one day people will re-excavate museuem basements!! :)
LUNARTICK007 3 years ago
I still feel that developers shouldn't be able to just 'destroy a burial ground' though, they should be made to construct buildings over the top! ridiculous when the council makes me use wheat straw on my my roof (rather than reed) but lets them destroy a roman cemetry!!? where's the logic in it all grrr!
LUNARTICK007 3 years ago 3
Brilliant find!! And what a great idea to film the process and make it avaliable for people to watch. Thank you!
samargera 3 years ago
Fantastic. How exciting to be able to watch this discovery in progress!
busstopgirl 4 years ago
Excellent stuff!!
storyman2 4 years ago
very nice.
garybrun 4 years ago