'Extraordinary' Roman box made of bone found

An "extraordinary" artefact believed to date back to the late Roman period has been unearthed in a Worcestershire town.

The excavation at Milestone Ground in Broadway uncovered 8,000 years of human activity but it was the discovery of a carved bone box which really excited archaeologists.

The bone box was recovered from the grave of a young woman with archaeologists believing the find could offer new insight into the lives, beliefs and craftsmanship of the people who once occupied the north Cotswolds.

Jamie Wilkins, who led the excavation, described the find as extraordinary and that he had never seen anything like it before.

The dig was carried out by Worcestershire Archaeology (part of Worcestershire County Council) with the excavation commissioned and funded by Wychavon District Council ahead of planned development.

The artefacts found, which span prehistoric, Roman and Saxon times, took centre stage in an episode of BBC's Two's Digging for Britain.

Emma Kearsey, Wychavon's executive board member for planning, infrastructure and urban design, said: "The excavation at Milestone Ground is rewriting what we know about Broadway and Worcestershire's past.

"The bone box in particular is a fascinating item and I'm pleased it is being featured on Digging for Britain so more people can share in the excitement of its discovery."

Digging for Britain with Professor Alice Roberts can be seen on BBC 2 on Wednesday and then on BBC iPlayer.

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