LONDON, ENGLAND—According to a statement released by University College London (UCL), an Iron Age cemetery containing the cremated remains of more than 100 people has been unearthed in the East of England by a team of researchers led by Angus Forshaw of UCL Archaeology South-East. Square in shape and surrounded by a ditch, the cemetery has been dated to the first century A.D. Many of the burials consist of cremation urns, but five high-status burials have been uncovered. These burials feature piles of burnt bones and grave goods in large, square pits. The artifacts include coppery-alloy vessels, imported ceramic wine jars, an imported glass bowl, hobnails, and brooches. “These exceptional grave goods are likely a reflection of diplomatic contact and economic exchange between Iron Age people in Britain and the Roman Empire, which was happening prior to the Roman conquest of A.D. 43,” Forshaw said.
