Burnt Body Found In Roman Oven – Was It Murder?

Archaeologists have found some burnt human remains in a Roman corn-drying oven at Sedgeford in Norfolk.

They think they may have uncovered the scene of a murder.

The mysterious burnt body was discovered during work being carried out as part of the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Project.

© SHARP

On-site human remains expert Zannah Baldry explained that most of an adult skeleton was in the oven. "The body appears to have been pushed into the oven," she said, "which was then set alight."

The possible Roman murder victim was never found at the time. When the site fell out of use, the roof of the oven collapsed and the site was covered over, leaving the crime undetected for more than 1,500 years.

The oven was last used in the 4th century AD, when grain was brought to Sedgeford to be dried and stored before being sent elsewhere.

Corn-dryers were quite common in late Roman countryside... but bodies in corn ovens are far less common!

The skeleton will be lifted out of the oven and studied by human remains specialists.

They'll try to find out how old the person was when they died, whether they were male or female, and maybe even what caused their death.

© SHARP

No-one knows who this person was - we can only guess. Maybe they were an unpopular official such as a tax collector or a bailiff (someone who collects rent money on behalf of a landlord).

Or perhaps they were an ordinary person who got into a violent argument with someone. Who do you think the person was? Was their death an accident or was someone trying to cover up a crime? Tell us what you think!

If you'd like to find out more about what archaeologists get up to, check out what happened when Show Me went Behind The Scenes With Time Team.

Photo: © Time Team.

There's loads of stuff about life in Roman times on Show Me's Romans topic page.

Here are just a few of the fab games and makes you can find there:

Escape to Segedunum is a fast action game from Tyne and Wear Museums.

You'll need to be quick to play Bath Bubbles, a sploshy game from the Roman Baths Museum.

In Dress The Roman Centurion, you can find out what a Roman soldier wore under his armour. You even get to dress him! From Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.

You can find out more about Norfolk's Roman past by visiting Origins in Norwich. There are loads of other museums and heritage sites where you can see Roman artefacts and learn more about how the Romans lived. Here are just a few:

Museum of London
Roman Baths Museum, Bath
Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon, Wales
Brading Roman Villa, Isle of Wight
Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester, West Sussex
Bignor Roman Villa, Pulborough, West Sussex
Lullingstone Roman Villa, Kent
Verulamium Museum, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Jewry Wall Museum, Leicester
Chester Roman Amphitheatre, Cheshire
Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum, Wallsend, Tyne & Wear
Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow

Don't forget - we love to hear about the things you've seen and heard about in museums, so do write and tell us about them, or send us a picture! Find out how to contact us on our Get In Touch page - we're looking forward to hearing from you.