Roman inhumation burial, Chesterford to Newmarket Railway (EHER 4985)

An inhumation burial and grave goods discovered in 1847 by workmen during construction of the Newmarket Branch Railway (EHER 4984) and recorded by Lord Braybrooke (Hon. R.C. Neville). The recorded discovery may actually represent two neighbouring burials, one with a cinerary vessel and five coins, and one with a ladle and 200 coins.

Inhumation burial discovered in 1847 by Lord Braybrooke during construction of the Newmarket Branch Railway (EHER 4984). 200 coins in a large trulla accompanied it. <1> The trulla was pierced to serve as a strainer. 200 large brass coins from Caligula to Commodus were found. <2> <3> Note: This record had previously equated this burial with an earlier discovery from the same year of a coffin inhumation, recorded seperately in EHER 83476. The comments which relate to that burial have been moved to that record. This is the second inhumation burial found by workmen on the railway in 1847 (this one in December), and may actually represent two neighbouring burials. It comprised a skeleton lying close to a small black cinerary vessel which contained five coins of Trajan. Close to the urn lay a ‘very perfect bronze patera or ladle, having a handle attached to it, from 3 to 4 inches [76–100mm] in length, and the bowl pierced into very minute holes, forming a pattern’. This may be the same pierced ladle or basin that Braybrooke records having found in 1847 accompanying an inhumation and containing a coin hoard of 200 coins. The coins are of Caligula, Claudius, Vespasian and other emperors, and Sabina, Faustina senior and Faustina junior, the most recent coin being of Commodus (AD 180–192). What is not clear is whether he was actually describing two neighbouring inhumations, one with a cinerary vessel and five coins, and one with a ladle and 200 coins, or a single grave group. <4>