Another possible Roman find at site of Northampton homes development

Possible Roman bone samples have been handed in at a Northampton museum after a dog walker discovered the fragments near the site of a suspected ancient cemetery.
By Paul Lynch
Published 10th Mar 2019, 19:22 BST
Updated 10th Mar 2019, 20:25 BST
A bone fragment discovered at the Buckton Fields development site has been sent off for testing. Picture courtesy of Joanne Blakesley.A bone fragment discovered at the Buckton Fields development site has been sent off for testing. Picture courtesy of Joanne Blakesley.
A bone fragment discovered at the Buckton Fields development site has been sent off for testing. Picture courtesy of Joanne Blakesley.

Last week, emails seen by the Chronicle and Echo revealed archaeologists had unearthed the remains of 35 bodies while preparing land at Buckton Fields for a new 380-home development.

As a result, the company carrying out the excavation, Oxford Archeology, believe the area behind Smith's Farm shop in Chapel Brampton to be a late-Roman burial site

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Neither the developers Ensign Group, landowners Northamptonshire County Council, nor the archaeologists have issued an official comment about the find and what it means for the overall development.

Archaeologists have been on-site at the latest Buckton Fields development site since July last year.Archaeologists have been on-site at the latest Buckton Fields development site since July last year.
Archaeologists have been on-site at the latest Buckton Fields development site since July last year.

Meanwhile, items continue to be found on the land.

On Sunday, March 3, Joanne Blakesley was walking her dog Bessie across the fields near to where one of the mounds of earth dug up by the archaeology team.

"There was just this object on top of one of the mounds," she said.

"My daughter picked it up. She thought it was a bit of card or stone or something. It didn't really look like a bone at first.

Joanne and Lexi also discovered a shard of pottery during their Sunday walk.Joanne and Lexi also discovered a shard of pottery during their Sunday walk.
Joanne and Lexi also discovered a shard of pottery during their Sunday walk.

"When she bought it closer we realised what it was."

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Joanne and her daughter Lexi, eight, also discovered a shard of pottery on their Sunday morning walk. Though they could not work out which part of the body the bone-related to.

Lexi has already wowed her classmates by taking the items into school. But Joanne has now handed the bone and pottery into Abington Park Museum, which will test the sample.

Oxford Archeology is expected to produce a report on its findings in due course.