Archaeologists In London Just Uncovered A Shockingly Well-Preserved Roman Funerary Bed

The 2,000-year-old funerary bed was incredibly well-preserved — a rarity for wooden objects from the Roman period.

MOLAArchaeologists unearthing the Roman funerary bed.

Archaeologists excavating a construction site in London recently unearthed a fully intact Roman funerary bed, along with skeletal remains and five oak coffins.

The excavation site, which is near Holborn Viaduct in London, will eventually be turned into an office space for the Hogan Lovells law firm. Right now, though, the former Roman cemetery is revealing 2,000 years of London’s history.

An ‘Incredibly Well-Made’ Piece From 2,000 Years Ago

The bed discovered at site is of particular interest, as it is the first complete funerary bed ever found in Britain, according to a statement from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).

The funerary bed was taken apart before being buried with the grave, but every piece was recovered. It was made from high-quality oak and has carved feet, as well as several joints fixed with small wooden pegs.

MOLAA reconstruction of the funerary bed.

“It’s been quite carefully taken apart and stashed, almost like flat-packed furniture for the next life,” MOLA artifacts specialist Michael Marshall tells The Guardian.

It is possible that the deceased may have been carried to the site of the burial on top of the funerary bed, before it was dismantled.

Experts from MOLA believe the funerary bed may have been buried as a grave good, intended for the deceased to use in the afterlife. The museum noted that various tombstones from the Roman Empire feature carvings of the deceased lounging on a couch or bed and eating food as though they were still alive.

Marshall said the quality of the bed likely indicates that the deceased was someone of high status, as the bed is “an incredibly well-made piece of furniture… It’s one of the fancier pieces of furniture that’s ever been recovered from Roman Britain.”

‘A Complete Surprise’ — Roman Era Wooden Objects Are A Rare Find

It is rather rare for archaeologists to unearth wooden objects from archaeological sites, but this location had certain characteristics that allowed the wood to be preserved. The mud is fairly damp, thanks to the site’s proximity to the River Fleet. That moisture kept the wood intact all these years.

Part of the site had previously been excavated in the 1990s, but nothing similar was discovered at that time. Marshall said the funerary bed was “a complete surprise” and that the team had never seen anything like it before.

“We didn’t know that people were buried in these kinds of Roman burial beds at all. That’s something that there is no previous evidence for from Britain.”

MOLAArchaeologists excavating old Roman timber wells.

In the statement, MOLA Project Officer Heather Knight said it was not surprising to find burials at the site, as it is well documented that the Romans buried their dead outside urban centers and along roads.

“However, the levels of preservation we’ve encountered — and particularly uncovering such a vast array of wooden finds — has really blown us away,” she said.

Other Objects Found At The Site

Along with the funerary bed, the team recovered several personal objects including amber beads, a glass vial with residue inside, and a decorated lamp dating back to the earliest period of Roman occupation between 43 and 80 C.E., featuring the image of a defeated gladiator.

MOLAThe Roman lamp, amber beads, and glass vial unearthed at the site.

“There’s something about the symbolism of the fallen gladiator that makes sense in a funerary context,” Marshall said. “A defeated gladiator is somebody who is dying, obviously — but they also fight against death. So there’s evidence that some really quite subtle choices about how people mourned their dead are starting to come through from analyzing these burials.”

Excavations also revealed that there had once been a second cemetery on the site, dating back to the 16th century. Then, in the wake of the Great Fire of London in 1666, houses, shops, and pubs were erected on the land. Eventually, these were replaced by Victorian warehouses.

Analysis of the finds is still ongoing, as is excavation of the site.

After reading about this surprising Roman-era discovery in London, read about Commodus, the mad Roman emperor depicted in the film Gladiator. Or, check out these 33 ancient Rome facts that will change the way you see history.