Archaeologists Uncover High-Status Iron Age Cemetery Near Chelmsford, Revealing Pre-Roman Elite Trade Links
A 2,000-year-old cemetery near Chelmsford holds five richly furnished cremation burials with imported Roman glass and wine jars, alongside three newly found Iron Age settlements.
Overview
Archaeologists have uncovered a large cemetery near Chelmsford, Essex, containing the cremated remains of over 100 individuals dating from around 2,000 years ago, according to UCL. Five of those burials were unusually rich, furnished with imported Roman glass and wine jars that indicate diplomatic and economic contact between Iron Age Britain and Rome before the conquest of AD 43, according to Arkeonews.
The excavations were carried out by Archaeology South-East, part of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, according to UCL.
What We Know
The now-completed dig revealed the cremated remains of over 100 individuals inside a square, ditched enclosure mostly dating to the first century AD, bridging the transition to Roman rule in Britain following Emperor Claudius’ invasion in AD43, according to UCL. Amongst dozens of more simple cremation burials contained in urns, five richly furnished, high-status cremation burials were found, with the remains deposited as piles of burnt bone within large, square pits surrounded by collections of objects that indicated the owner’s importance in Iron Age East Anglia, according to UCL.
Those grave goods include copper alloy vessels, ceramic wine jars known as amphorae, a glass bowl, hobnails, and brooches, all of which are now being cleaned, conserved and analysed by specialist teams at Archaeology South-East, according to UCL.
Angus Forshaw, who led the excavations for Archaeology South-East, said: “These exceptional grave goods are likely a reflection of diplomatic contact and economic exchange between Iron Age people in Britain and the Roman Empire, which was happening prior to the Roman conquest of AD43. The pillar-moulded glass bowl alone – one of the earliest glass vessels to arrive in Britain – would have been a highly-prized personal possession, and the amphorae could have arrived in Britain filled with wine, intended for consumption by society’s elites,” according to UCL.
Samara King, project manager at Archaeology South-East, said: “The period around the Roman conquest was a time of immense political and cultural change. These burials may have been a way in which different Iron Age communities signalled their identities, their power, and perceived allegiance to Rome,” according to UCL.
Beyond the cemetery, the excavations revealed a wider Iron Age landscape, including at least three previously unknown settlements spread over the 11 hectares (27 acres) investigated, made up of multiple roundhouses enclosed by ditches with associated field systems, waterholes and smaller agricultural enclosures, according to Phys.org. That wider evidence points to an organised landscape occupied by farming communities whose leaders may have controlled access to land, imported goods and regional trade routes, according to Arkeonews.
Initial research suggests the five high-status burials are similar to a group of elite cremation burials known as Welwyn-type burials, comparable to finds at Stansted and Stanway in Essex as well as sites in Hertfordshire, according to UCL.
Ten objects uncovered during the excavations, including glassware, amphorae, and other ceramic items, are going on display in a new exhibition, “Timeless Treasures: Unlocking the Great Baddow Coin Hoard,” opening at the Museum of Chelmsford on Saturday, July 18, according to UCL. The exhibition will also explore the mystery of 935 Iron Age gold coins discovered in Great Baddow in 2020, according to UCL.
Claire Willetts, curator and exhibitions officer at the Museum of Chelmsford, said: “Coupled with the discovery of the Great Baddow Hoard, this newly uncovered Iron Age cemetery and the finds within it demonstrate that Chelmsford was not a quiet backwater during the Iron Age – it was part of a busy and connected landscape. Could the Great Baddow Hoard have links to this cemetery? We’ll explore this and other theories in our new exhibit,” according to UCL.
What We Don’t Know
Researchers have not yet established whether the individuals buried near Chelmsford were local rulers, members of powerful families, or intermediaries involved in trade and diplomacy with Rome, according to Arkeonews. Identifying the dead will be difficult because cremation destroys much of the biological evidence normally used to study ancient individuals, according to Arkeonews.
Further analysis of the site will focus on dating the cemetery to determine how the cremation burials correlate with the nearby settlements and for how long the cemetery was used, which researchers hope may help explain who was buried there and why they received such lavish burials, according to UCL. Expert advice on the excavation was also provided by Heritage Network and Essex County Council’s Place Services, with the Pilgrim Trust helping fund preparation of the objects selected for display, according to UCL.