Archaeologists uncovered what they believed to be the only inscribed tomb and matching remains ever found from Roman Britain earlier this year.
But now it appears the stone has no direct link with the skeleton buried beneath it.
The honey-coloured headstone bears inscriptions saying it belongs to a 27-year-old female called 'Bodica', but now experts believe the bones laid to rest under it belong to a man, meaning the burial may remain a mystery.
The stone and skull were found beneath a car park in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and were dated to between the 1st and 3rd centuries at the time of discovery.
The inscription on the Cotswold limestone slab reads: ‘D.M. BODICACIA CONIUNX VIXIT ANNO S XXVII,’ which possibly means ‘To the shades of the underworld, Bodica, spouse, lived 27 years’.
While the dedication on the tombstone is to a woman, the skeleton beneath it belongs to a male, archaeologists said.
It is thought the gravestone, made in the 2nd century AD, is older than the remains dating to the 4th century AD, meaning it was reused.
Mystery of the 'Bodica' tombstone deepens: Skeleton found beneath is MALE - and the inscribed stone may have been recycled
Tombstone dedicated to a 27-year-old woman named 'Bodica' and remains were found in a Roman cemetery in Cirencester earlier this year
Find was said to be only tomb and matching remains from Roman Britain
But now experts say the skeleton beneath Bodica's supposed tomb is male
And archaeologists say stone is two centuries older than bones beneath
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
29 May 2015
Daily Mail
Archaeologists uncovered what they believed to be the only inscribed tomb and matching remains ever found from Roman Britain earlier this year.
But now it appears the stone has no direct link with the skeleton buried beneath it.
The honey-coloured headstone bears inscriptions saying it belongs to a 27-year-old female called 'Bodica', but now experts believe the bones laid to rest under it belong to a man, meaning the burial may remain a mystery.
Disappointment: Archaeologists uncovered what they believed to be the only inscribed tomb and matching remains ever found from Roman Britain earlier this year. But now it appears the stone has no direct link with the skeleton buried beneath it due to differences in both time and gender
The stone and skull were found beneath a car park in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and were dated to between the 1st and 3rd centuries at the time of discovery.
The inscription on the Cotswold limestone slab reads: ‘D.M. BODICACIA CONIUNX VIXIT ANNO S XXVII,’ which possibly means ‘To the shades of the underworld, Bodica, spouse, lived 27 years’.
While the dedication on the tombstone is to a woman, the skeleton beneath it belongs to a male, archaeologists said.
It is thought the gravestone, made in the 2nd century AD, is older than the remains dating to the 4th century AD, meaning it was reused.
The inscription reads: ‘D.M. BODICACIA CONIUNX VIXIT ANNO S XXVII,’ which possibly means ‘To the shades of the underworld, Bodica, spouse, lived 27 years’
It is thought the gravestone, made in the 2nd century AD, is older than the remains of a man (pictured) dating to the 4th century AD, suggesting it was taken from elsewhere and repurposed
The slab - made from Cotswold limestone - and skeleton were found beneath a car park in Cirencester (marked), Gloucestershire, earlier this year. The location would have been known as Corinium at the time of the burial and it was the second largest town in Roman Britain
‘We believe the tombstone to have been reused as a grave cover perhaps as long as two centuries after it was first erected,’ Ed McSloy, Cotswold Archaeology’s finds expert told Discovery News.
Experts in Roman sculpture from the University of Oxford, Martin Henig and Roger Tomlin, said that because the back of the stone is roughly worked, it may have been taken from a mausoleum, rather than have been intended to be free-standing.
So the bones of the man buried beneath the headstone, which measures 4ft tall (1.2 metres) and 2ft wide (60cm) tomb, remain a mystery.
Despite not being the find that experts first thought, the headstone is still of interest.
Mr McSloy believes the woman’s real name was Bodicacia - a previously unknown Celtic name, with the same root as Boudicca, the fierce queen of the Iceni tribe that famously attempted to defeat the Romans.
The tombstone is unique because it shows an illustration of the Roman god Oceanus at the top.
It is the first time that the sea god - who was popularly depicted with a long moustache and hair, as well as crab-like pincers - has been found on a funerary sculpture in Britain.
A mosaic from the ancient Greek city of Antioch depicting Oceanus
Experts had hoped the remains (pictured) beneath the stone belonged to a person known as Bodicacia - who was laid to rest beneath the original headstone - but found that the bones belong to a 4th century man instead
Experts said the stone is lucky to have survived because Roman tombstones were often taken away and re-purposed in buildings during the Medieval period. A garage was also built on the site (excavation plans shown) in the 1960s and the stone survived being destroyed by a beam laid during construction
Mr McSoy believes the stone was ripped from a mausoleum sometime in the 4th century at which point, if not before, the image of the god was defaced.
‘The most likely context for this would be early Christian iconoclasm,’ he explained.
The archaeologists who first came across the headstone have previously uncovered 75 burial sites, as well as a bronze cockerel being cradled by a young boy at the site in 2011.
They think the plot was a burial ground for the Roman elite of Corinium (Cirencester).
The team first spotted the headstone, which was lying face down, by the triangular shape at its top.
They said it is lucky to have survived intact because Roman tombstones were often taken away and re-purposed in buildings in Cirencester during the the Medieval period.
The tombstone will go on permanent display at Cirencester’s Corinium Museum.
WHY EXPERTS THOUGHT THEY HAD FOUND ONLY ROMAN TOMBSTONE WITH MATCHING REMAINS
Speaking at the time of the discovery, archaeologist Neil Holbrook said: 'We think it is the only example in Roman Britain of a tombstone that has someone's name on it, and then their remains underneath.
'We think this because it seems to have fallen on top of their body. The stone was on top of the skull. This is a really, really rare discovery.
'When we lifted it out, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.'
But now it appears that the remains belong to a man, who lived two centuries after a woman called Bodicacia, whose details are inscribed on the tombstone.
THE BRONZE COCKEREL AND ITS MESSAGE TO THE GODS
The archaeologists have previously uncovered 75 burial sites, as well as a bronze cockerel (pictured) being cradled by a young girl at the site in 2011
Archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology previously uncovered 75 burial sites near to where they found the headstone, as well as a bronze cockerel being cradled by a young girl at the site in 2011, and think the plot was a burial ground for the Roman elite of Cirencester.
The child was buried wearing hobnailed shoes and was accompanied by a pottery feeding vessel, and the remarkable enamelled bronze figurine of a cockerel.
The cockerel is 5-inches tall (12.5cm) and the breast, wings, eyes and ‘comb’ are inlaid with enamel, which now appears blue and green.
There is a separately moulded tail plate, also enamelled, with ‘openwork’ decoration.
The beak is shown open, in the act of crowing.
It is believed that the Romans gave religious significance to the cockerel which was known to be connected with Mercury.
Experts claim it was Mercury, a messenger to the gods, that was also responsible for conducting newly-deceased souls to the afterlife.
Statues of this god, including one in the Corinium Museum, commonly show a cockerel at the base.
The association probably stems from Mercury’s role as the messenger to the gods and that of the cockerel as ‘announcer’ of the new dawn.
Mercury was also the ‘herdsman for the dead’, guiding newly deceased souls on their passage to the afterlife.
It is therefore possible that the cockerel was an offering by a devotee of Mercury and expresses a parent’s particular concern to ensure safe transit of a loved one into the after world.
The bronze and enamel cockerel (pictured) was said to have been placed in the grave of the two-year-old Roman girl by her parents, and experts believe it was used to ask the Gods to protect her. They also believe the expensive gift was placed in the grave to ease their daughter's transition into the 'next world'
But now it appears the stone has no direct link with the skeleton buried beneath it.
The honey-coloured headstone bears inscriptions saying it belongs to a 27-year-old female called 'Bodica', but now experts believe the bones laid to rest under it belong to a man, meaning the burial may remain a mystery.
The stone and skull were found beneath a car park in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and were dated to between the 1st and 3rd centuries at the time of discovery.
The inscription on the Cotswold limestone slab reads: ‘D.M. BODICACIA CONIUNX VIXIT ANNO S XXVII,’ which possibly means ‘To the shades of the underworld, Bodica, spouse, lived 27 years’.
While the dedication on the tombstone is to a woman, the skeleton beneath it belongs to a male, archaeologists said.
It is thought the gravestone, made in the 2nd century AD, is older than the remains dating to the 4th century AD, meaning it was reused.
Mystery of the 'Bodica' tombstone deepens: Skeleton found beneath is MALE - and the inscribed stone may have been recycled
Tombstone dedicated to a 27-year-old woman named 'Bodica' and remains were found in a Roman cemetery in Cirencester earlier this year
Find was said to be only tomb and matching remains from Roman Britain
But now experts say the skeleton beneath Bodica's supposed tomb is male
And archaeologists say stone is two centuries older than bones beneath
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
29 May 2015
Daily Mail
Archaeologists uncovered what they believed to be the only inscribed tomb and matching remains ever found from Roman Britain earlier this year.
But now it appears the stone has no direct link with the skeleton buried beneath it.
The honey-coloured headstone bears inscriptions saying it belongs to a 27-year-old female called 'Bodica', but now experts believe the bones laid to rest under it belong to a man, meaning the burial may remain a mystery.
Disappointment: Archaeologists uncovered what they believed to be the only inscribed tomb and matching remains ever found from Roman Britain earlier this year. But now it appears the stone has no direct link with the skeleton buried beneath it due to differences in both time and gender
The stone and skull were found beneath a car park in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and were dated to between the 1st and 3rd centuries at the time of discovery.
The inscription on the Cotswold limestone slab reads: ‘D.M. BODICACIA CONIUNX VIXIT ANNO S XXVII,’ which possibly means ‘To the shades of the underworld, Bodica, spouse, lived 27 years’.
While the dedication on the tombstone is to a woman, the skeleton beneath it belongs to a male, archaeologists said.
It is thought the gravestone, made in the 2nd century AD, is older than the remains dating to the 4th century AD, meaning it was reused.
The inscription reads: ‘D.M. BODICACIA CONIUNX VIXIT ANNO S XXVII,’ which possibly means ‘To the shades of the underworld, Bodica, spouse, lived 27 years’
It is thought the gravestone, made in the 2nd century AD, is older than the remains of a man (pictured) dating to the 4th century AD, suggesting it was taken from elsewhere and repurposed
The slab - made from Cotswold limestone - and skeleton were found beneath a car park in Cirencester (marked), Gloucestershire, earlier this year. The location would have been known as Corinium at the time of the burial and it was the second largest town in Roman Britain
‘We believe the tombstone to have been reused as a grave cover perhaps as long as two centuries after it was first erected,’ Ed McSloy, Cotswold Archaeology’s finds expert told Discovery News.
Experts in Roman sculpture from the University of Oxford, Martin Henig and Roger Tomlin, said that because the back of the stone is roughly worked, it may have been taken from a mausoleum, rather than have been intended to be free-standing.
So the bones of the man buried beneath the headstone, which measures 4ft tall (1.2 metres) and 2ft wide (60cm) tomb, remain a mystery.
Despite not being the find that experts first thought, the headstone is still of interest.
Mr McSloy believes the woman’s real name was Bodicacia - a previously unknown Celtic name, with the same root as Boudicca, the fierce queen of the Iceni tribe that famously attempted to defeat the Romans.
The tombstone is unique because it shows an illustration of the Roman god Oceanus at the top.
It is the first time that the sea god - who was popularly depicted with a long moustache and hair, as well as crab-like pincers - has been found on a funerary sculpture in Britain.
A mosaic from the ancient Greek city of Antioch depicting Oceanus
Experts had hoped the remains (pictured) beneath the stone belonged to a person known as Bodicacia - who was laid to rest beneath the original headstone - but found that the bones belong to a 4th century man instead
Experts said the stone is lucky to have survived because Roman tombstones were often taken away and re-purposed in buildings during the Medieval period. A garage was also built on the site (excavation plans shown) in the 1960s and the stone survived being destroyed by a beam laid during construction
Mr McSoy believes the stone was ripped from a mausoleum sometime in the 4th century at which point, if not before, the image of the god was defaced.
‘The most likely context for this would be early Christian iconoclasm,’ he explained.
The archaeologists who first came across the headstone have previously uncovered 75 burial sites, as well as a bronze cockerel being cradled by a young boy at the site in 2011.
They think the plot was a burial ground for the Roman elite of Corinium (Cirencester).
The team first spotted the headstone, which was lying face down, by the triangular shape at its top.
They said it is lucky to have survived intact because Roman tombstones were often taken away and re-purposed in buildings in Cirencester during the the Medieval period.
The tombstone will go on permanent display at Cirencester’s Corinium Museum.
WHY EXPERTS THOUGHT THEY HAD FOUND ONLY ROMAN TOMBSTONE WITH MATCHING REMAINS
Speaking at the time of the discovery, archaeologist Neil Holbrook said: 'We think it is the only example in Roman Britain of a tombstone that has someone's name on it, and then their remains underneath.
'We think this because it seems to have fallen on top of their body. The stone was on top of the skull. This is a really, really rare discovery.
'When we lifted it out, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.'
But now it appears that the remains belong to a man, who lived two centuries after a woman called Bodicacia, whose details are inscribed on the tombstone.
THE BRONZE COCKEREL AND ITS MESSAGE TO THE GODS
The archaeologists have previously uncovered 75 burial sites, as well as a bronze cockerel (pictured) being cradled by a young girl at the site in 2011
Archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology previously uncovered 75 burial sites near to where they found the headstone, as well as a bronze cockerel being cradled by a young girl at the site in 2011, and think the plot was a burial ground for the Roman elite of Cirencester.
The child was buried wearing hobnailed shoes and was accompanied by a pottery feeding vessel, and the remarkable enamelled bronze figurine of a cockerel.
The cockerel is 5-inches tall (12.5cm) and the breast, wings, eyes and ‘comb’ are inlaid with enamel, which now appears blue and green.
There is a separately moulded tail plate, also enamelled, with ‘openwork’ decoration.
The beak is shown open, in the act of crowing.
It is believed that the Romans gave religious significance to the cockerel which was known to be connected with Mercury.
Experts claim it was Mercury, a messenger to the gods, that was also responsible for conducting newly-deceased souls to the afterlife.
Statues of this god, including one in the Corinium Museum, commonly show a cockerel at the base.
The association probably stems from Mercury’s role as the messenger to the gods and that of the cockerel as ‘announcer’ of the new dawn.
Mercury was also the ‘herdsman for the dead’, guiding newly deceased souls on their passage to the afterlife.
It is therefore possible that the cockerel was an offering by a devotee of Mercury and expresses a parent’s particular concern to ensure safe transit of a loved one into the after world.
The bronze and enamel cockerel (pictured) was said to have been placed in the grave of the two-year-old Roman girl by her parents, and experts believe it was used to ask the Gods to protect her. They also believe the expensive gift was placed in the grave to ease their daughter's transition into the 'next world'
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