OVER 300 graves have been discovered at one of the UK’s largest Roman cemetries.
Ahead of major road works, a 21-mile stretch in Penrith, Cumbria has been under excavation.
Further evidence of ancient Roman funeral rites was recently uncovered at the historical site.
Archaeologists started work on the A66 in 2025, ahead of plans to widen the road between Penrith and Scotch Corner.
While academics have known about the Roman links to the site since the 1960s, there have been no opportunities for an extensive dig until now.
The site confirms evidence of human activity in the area, offering an insight into Ancient Roman burial traditios from 2,700 years ago.
WOULD YOU KNIGHT A MAGNUM?
Medieval knight’s ancient tomb is unearthed under ice cream shop
STRUCK GOLD
Breakthrough as ring unlocking secrets of ‘vanished’ kingdom is unearthed in UK
Dr Lauren McIntyre from Oxford Cotswold Archaeology spoke to the BBC about what the team had uncovered so far.
She confirmed there has been evidence of about 340 graves, with signs pointing towards both cremation and burial.
According to the archaeologist, the site is likely to be far bigger than what has been dug up so far.
The site is separate to another Roman grave found on the A66 at Kirkby Thore near Appleby in 2018, with McIntyre confirming a Roman fort and settlement had also been located in the area.
The team also discovered several ceramic pots and a Cupid figurine, which was likely to have been buried with cremated ashes.
Next steps will involve analysing the ashes collected with the aim of discovering where the soldiers who were likely buried at the site were actually from.
McIntyre explained that soldiers in the Roman Empire were usually not from the area where they were stationed and said the team hoped to use isotopic analysis to help pinpoint the location of where these people likely grew up.
The A66 archaeological dig site recently featured on BBC Two’s Digging For Britain.
