BARRY, WALES—According to a Live Science report, excavations in South Wales ahead of a road construction project have uncovered the skeleton of a young man who was buried face down in the third or fourth century A.D. Mark Collard of Red River Archaeology said that a silver pin, an iron sword, traces of hobnailed boots, and a crossbow-style brooch were also found in the rock-cut grave, which may have been edged with wooden planks. The weapon and brooch indicate that the man may have been an elite member of the Roman military, but large nails found near the skeleton’s neck, back, and feet suggest that he could have been restrained at the time of death, Collard added. Examination of the man’s remains revealed that he was suffering from a possibly fatal infection of the mastoid bone, which is located behind the ear. Isotopic analysis of the man’s teeth indicates that he grew up further to the east than where his remains were found. The remains of someone who had been decapitated were found nearby, Collard said. Prone and decapitated burials have been found at other sites in Roman Britain, he concluded. For more on the archaeology of Wales, go to "A Welsh Ancestor."
