Roman remains found during building work at York Station

Human remains suspected to date from the Roman occupation of York have been found near the city's railway station.
York StationYork Station
York Station

The discovery was made during building work on Tuesday afternoon and British Transport Police initially investigated before deeming the find to be ancient.

The scene has now been passed to the York Archaeological Trust for examination.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The area now occupied by York Station, which was built in the 1870s, was already known to have been a Roman cemetery.

Although much of it was destroyed during the building of the station, some individual burials survived.

A spokesperson for City of York Council said: "The remains are Roman in date and relate to the Roman cemetery which existed in the area of the station. York Archaeological Trust are now monitoring any further works going forward."

There were major digs on the station site in both the 1840s and 1870s, and several sarcophagi were unearthed, including those of high-profile citizens whose caskets were identified.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In 2009 a suspected gladiator skeleton was found underneath the Yorkshire Museum.

There have been other stunning Roman finds in York over the years, including the discovery of 16 skeletons beneath the Newington Hotel's swimming pool two years ago.

A Roman cemetery on Trentholme Drive was excavated in the 1950s, and it's thought these remains may have been interred in an 'extension' to this burial ground.

One of the most incredible finds was in 2005, when the skeletons of 30 headless men were unearthed from another burial ground on Driffield Terrace.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It sparked a huge mystery over their identities - were they gladiators, prisoners or victims of a ritual? Most were found under a garden before a patio was laid.

The removed heads were placed in odd positions - between knees, on chests, or down by feet.

Further investigations revealed they were all men aged 20-40 who had been in good health. None were local. Dental examinations confirmed they came from as far afield as Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean.

BBC Timewatch experts later determined that they had been beheaded while still alive.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.