The ‘rare’ Roman mound where a woman was found buried

Roman artefacts including an urn and pottery were found buried with the woman

The Romans played an important part in history, and Cambridgeshire too. Some Roman remnants discovered in Cambridgeshire weren’t always visible – with several excavations uncovering important artefacts in our county.

Following an excavation at Hey Hill in Barton in 1908, a large discovery was made. Archaeologists found a Roman barrow, an ancient burial site which is considered rare by Historic England.

Inside the barrow was a stone coffin without a cover, which contained a disjointed skeleton of a young woman, according to Capturing Cambridge. Alongside the woman’s body, there were a number of other items including two bone hairpins, goose and cockerel bones, and also a pig and sheep tooth. She was also buried with fragments of Roman pottery and a Roman urn. On the outside of her coffin, 27 hobnails were found.

During the excavation of Hey Hill and buried above the woman, there was evidence of a second burial that took place. A decapitated skeleton was found, and it was thought to date to Anglo-Saxon times.

Because of the important discoveries, Hey Hill is now recognised as a scheduled monument. This means it is recognised as a nationally important archaeological site and is given legal protection against unauthorised change.