Hidden burial ground unearthed during M5 dig

A "unique" Roman burial ground has been unearthed during a dig at a motorway, with features an archaeologist says she has not seen anywhere else in the UK.

Gloucestershire residents were invited to take a trip back in time on Thursday and see discoveries made during pre-construction work on the M5 junction 10 improvements scheme, near Cheltenham.

Ada Torka-Lis, project officer for Archaeological Research Services, said items and skeletons from the Paleolithic, Roman, and the Saxon periods had been discovered.

Julian Tooke of Gloucestershire County Council said he was "really fired up" as the finds suggested people of three different religions lived in the area 2,000 years ago.

Torka-Lis said one of the most interesting finds was a cemetery, believed to be Roman, although bodies from different periods, religions and cultures were unearthed.

"What's unique about it is we found a lot of burials that are non-normative; some of them were decapitated, some of them were crouched," Torka-Lis said.

"Normally, on the Roman cemeteries, we would only find a few percent of burials that are non-normative. So far, on this whole site, we probably found more than 100 burials in total, [with more than 50 non-normative burials], which is quite unique."

Other discoveries included "beautifully preserved" brooches, bracelets, bricks, and tiles, Torka-Lis added.

Everything uncovered by the archaeologists will be sent to specialists, who will inspect the human bones, animal bones and coins - among other items - and write reports.

When asked if the site could be of national significance, Torka-Lis said: "I don't want to say that yet, but it's very likely.

"We found a lot of stuff that's very, very unique and I haven't seen it anywhere else in the UK, so it's very, very likely," she added.

The dig began earlier this year as part of the M5 junction 10 improvement scheme, which is due to be completed in 2029 and has a budget of £407m.

Currently, drivers can only access the M5 northbound from the junction but once the project is completed, motorists will be able to join and leave the motorway from both directions.

Tooke, cabinet member for business, economic development, planning and infrastructure, said archaeologists had "done a fantastic job".

"Your history is under your feet," he said.

"What I love about it is it's telling stories; the dead are speaking, in a way, and telling us stories about the past which we never realised," he added.

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