In one of the most fascinating Roman burials ever uncovered in Colchester, the remains of a woman surfaced during an archaeological investigation who was buried with objects and valuable substances such as frankincense and gypsum.

The decorated coffin, made of lead, held grave goods that communicated her elite status in Roman-ruled England. Her burial provided researchers with a vivid glimpse into life and death in Roman Colchester, as per a press release.

Though laid to rest with a rich assortment of personal items and grave goods, the presence of substances in her grave spoke to the rituals and treatment of the body after death, revealing practices afforded to the Roman elite.

“Over decades of working with Colchester Archaeological Trust on excavations of the Roman burial grounds around the Roman town, this is certainly the most spectacular I have seen, in terms of signifying the trappings of wealth and symbolism in death, of a fully Romanised citizen,” said Robert Masefield, Archaeology Director at Tetra Tech Consulting Limited.

A rich British Roman woman

Described as beautiful in its own right, as the lead coffin was carved with motifs, but Adam Wightman, Director of Archaeology at Colchester Archaeological Trust, said that the coffin, grave goods, and the scientific evidence make this burial so compelling.

“Together, they allow us to glimpse not just a person, but the care, ritual, and belief that surrounded her burial in late Roman Colchester.”

The British woman is estimated to have died in her late 20s or 30s between the third and fifth centuries AD, though archaeologists cannot date it exactly. She was buried with objects such as jet hairpins, a group of rare glass flasks, and other grave goods. This indicated to archaeologists a carefully staged and richly furnished burial.

But the standout discovery was the substances that accompanied her to her grave.

Buried with precious substances

Residue analysis showed that frankincense and gypsum were present in the coffin, along with an exotic resin in a glass vessel. The frankincense, sourced from dried tree sap, most likely originated in Africa, the Middle East, or India. The gypsum suggests that the body might have been covered before her burial, in a paste akin to plaster, which was customary in the British Roman elite, according to Live Science.

“The young woman was clearly cherished by her family and by her community. Essex Housing, in facilitating the excavation and CAT’s painstaking work to respectfully excavate, conserve, promote a full suite of scientific analyses and now to bring the find to public attention, is highly appropriate,” as stated in a press release.

The burial was excavated by Colchester Archaeological Trust during archaeological work at the former Essex County Hospital site. The excavation was carried out at the final stages of a redevelopment of the area by Essex Housing, Essex County Council’s development team.

Beginning in May 2026, a temporary exhibit will open to the public, for a year, so visitors can witness the coffin and the remains and learn about what her life and death revealed about the British Roman elite.