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Excavations in Colchester have unearthed a rare and exceptionally well preserved lead coffin, housing the remains of a woman who lived and died during the later Roman period. Recent analysis has now provided new insights into the experiences of this individual, and new information about her burial.
The woman’s burial was discovered in 2024 by the Colchester Archaeological Trust, during the final stages of investigations on the site of the former Essex County Hospital, which lies to the west of the city walls in the Lexden neighbourhood. Subsequent research and analysis has revealed the story of this woman’s life, death, and the care taken over her burial in the late 4th century AD – details of which now form the focus of a new exhibition.
One of the most striking aspects of the burial was the lead coffin. It had originally been placed inside a wooden casket, though little of this outer container has survived apart from some iron nails, along with soil staining. Fortunately, however, the beautifully decorated lead coffin was in remarkable condition. Its lid and sides are adorned with a bead-and-reel linear motif arranged in a diamond pattern, together with scallop shells and circles (above).
Inside, the team found the remains of a woman, aged 25-39 years old and around 1.68m tall (5ft 6in). Dubbed the ‘Lexden Lady’ by the team, she had been in relatively good health during life, with no obvious evidence of major disease or trauma, which may point to her death resulting from a short or sudden illness. A white powdery substance found on her skeleton has been identified as gypsum, while organic residue analysis of soil samples from around her pelvis revealed a concentration of frankincense. Five jet hairpins found behind the skull, meanwhile, suggest that her hair had been styled for burial.
Outside the coffins, in the top left corner of the grave, the remains of copper-alloy fittings (decorative domes and plates, hinges, and a lock and fastening plate) testify to the presence of a bespoke basketry casket, which contained seven glass vessels. These were particularly striking, comprising two hole-mouthed flasks, two funnel-mouthed flasks, and three cylindrical flasks. Not only were these rare, late 4th-century forms, but one of the cylindrical flasks contained organic remains, which later analysis revealed to be a mix of mastic and balsamic resins. A smashed greyware jar and a headless chicken, also found outside the coffins and positioned level with the woman’s right and left shoulder, completed her grave goods.
The care that had been taken over this burial is clear. The nest of coffins, decorative motifs, and use of gypsum and frankincense may all have been intended to preserve and protect the woman’s body and to enable her safe passage into the afterlife. The financial investment in these rites is equally evident, which is interesting as Roman Colchester seems to have been contracting by the late 4th century, with occupation increasingly concentrated within the defended area of the city. The discovery of the ‘Lexden Lady’, however, demonstrates that there was still a wealthy elite within the city who had the money and resources to spend on expensive grave goods – not just the lead coffin but the rare glass flasks and exotic resins imported from as far away as southern Arabia. Further results from aDNA and isotopic analysis should soon reveal even more information about the life of this apparently privileged individual.
The coffin and its contents are currently on display at the Roman Circus Visitor Centre in Colchester until May 2027.
Text: Laura Pooley / Image: Colchester Archaeological Trust
