Roman Child’s Lead Coffin Discovered in England

LEICESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND—A 1,700-year-old lead coffin was discovered in a field near the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border by metal detector enthusiasts. The small coffin is thought to contain the remains of a Roman child and be one of the earliest Christian burials in the country. Scientists inserted and endoscope into a gap in the lid, and found that the coffin is full of clay. “It will be taken to our offices in Warwick where we can examine it under laboratory conditions to see what it can tell us about aspects of Roman period life, health, and of course death,” said Stuart Palmer of Archaeology Warwickshire.