A remarkable archaeological discovery takes center stage in the upcoming season of BBC’s Digging for Britain airing tomorrow at 8 pm on BBC2. The new season, showcasing some of the most important archaeological discoveries from the past year, opens with an exceptional unearthing—a huge hand-carved Roman stone coffin, one of the most unique burial finds of the year.

Carefully removing the Roman stone coffin on the A47. Credit: National Highways

The coffin, weighing 750 kg (about the same as a grown male polar bear), lay untouched for over 1,500 years until a team from Headland Archaeology dug it up. Archaeologists found this amazing artifact during roadworks on the A47 in Cambridgeshire, part of the old Roman road that linked key areas of Roman Britain. As National Highways works to turn the single-lane road into a dual carriageway, they stumbled upon a Roman cemetery near the road.

The huge stone coffin, found while widening the A47 between Wansford and Sutton, had stayed intact in the ground for hundreds of years. The careful digging, led by the Headland Archaeology team, was an amazing mix of engineering skill and historical preservation. Chris Griffin, who leads the National Highways program in the east region, 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.”

This discovery is part of a bigger plan to make sure that any old or historic items found during road building are recorded and kept safe. National Highways teams up with experts like Headland Archaeology to document and protect these treasures. Griffin 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.”

The Roman stone coffin under excavation. Credit: National Highways

Project Manager David Harrison from Headland Archaeology also spoke of the find, 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 remarked.

This episode also shows how teams work together to keep these findings safe. For seven months, 52 archaeologists and 20 civil engineers joined forces at 14 sites along this part of the A47. The project got help from expert conservation teams too. These included the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), York Archaeology, Heritage 360, CR Conservation, and Clivedon Conservation.

This amazing find is part of a bigger effort to find and keep old sites safe during road building. Along with the stone coffin, workers have dug up other cool stuff on National Highways projects in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, and EsSєx. These finds will be shown in upcoming Digging for Britain shows.

The twelfth series of Digging for Britain promises to take viewers on a thrilling ride into the ancient world showcasing even more jaw-dropping finds from all over the UK.

More information: National Highways