The bones of Faustina – lady in the lead coffin

This lead coffin is held in the Ilchester Museum and contains the skeleton of a middle aged woman. It was found during excavations in 1982 at a roman cemetery near the river. The cemetery is believed to be late 4th to early 5th century. It is believed that the cemetery holds around 1500 bodies.

On Tuesday 14th December, two small bones from the body were taken for further detailed analysis. It is hoped to establish the exact date that this lady died. She is fondly called Faustina, but this is not her real name. We are not sure who chose the name for her.

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