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This unique and remarkably well-preserved bone box was uncovered during excavations at Milestone Ground in Broadway, Worcestershire. Dating to the late Roman period, it measures 68mm long, 33mm wide, and 30mm deep (2.7in by 1.3in by 1.2in), and is intricately carved with ring and-dot motifs across its outer surface and sliding lid. The box was found in the grave of a woman who had died at the age of 25-30, and radiocarbon dating placed the burial between AD 318 and AD 415.
Preliminary analysis of the box has revealed that it was carved from the leg bone of a roe deer, and it potentially shows signs of use-wear. While the soil inside the box was described as ‘greasy’, chemical analysis only revealed a high iron content and so, at this time, its function and original contents remain a mystery. Skeletal analysis of the woman with whom it had been buried, however, revealed signs of lesions and inflammation that would have caused pain, leading to the suggestion that it may have contained an ointment or salve. Further investigations are ongoing.
The box currently has no known parallels in Britain, offering unprecedented insights into life in the Cotswolds during the late Roman period. Jamie Wilkins from Worcestershire Archaeology (part of Worcestershire County Council), who led the excavation, said the discovery was ‘extraordinary, not only because of the box’s craftsmanship and condition, but because of the story it tells about the community that lived here. I had never seen anything like this object before, and it immediately became clear that we had uncovered something truly special.’
Conducted on behalf of Wychavon District Council, the excavations also uncovered evidence of activity dating from prehistory through to the early medieval period. Watch this space for a fuller feature about this exciting site in a future issue of CA.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka and Constance Mitchell / Images: Worcestershire Archaeology
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