A UNIQUE late Roman bone box recovered from the grave of a young woman in Broadway will feature on BBC Two’s Digging for Britain tonight.
The highly decorated artefact discovered by Worcestershire Archaeology has captured national attention and offers new insight into the lives, beliefs and craftsmanship of the people who once occupied this area of the north Cotswolds.
Specialist analysis has also revealed that the box was made from the bone of a roe deer and may originally have held an ointment or similar substance.
Carved bone box with sliding lid. s
Jamie Wilkins, who led the excavation, described the discovery as ‘extraordinary’.
“Not only because of the box’s craftsmanship and condition, but because of the story it tells about the community that lived here.
“I had never seen anything like this object before, and it immediately became clear that we had uncovered something truly special,” he said.
The excavation at Milestone Ground has uncovered 8,000 years of human activity and thousands of items from the Mesolithic period through to Saxon times.
It was commissioned and funded by Wychavon District Council on land it owns ahead of planned development.
The Digging for Britain episode, presented by Professor Alice Roberts, airs tonight (21 January) on BBC Two.
Alternatively you can watch Series 13: 3. A Mysterious Bone Box and Admiral Nelson’s Favourite Ship now on the BBC iPlayer.
You can read more about the discovery and the excavation at Milestone Ground on the Explore the Past website.
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