Described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime find', the extraordinary discovery could help unlock the secrets of one of the most significant periods in British history.
It was initially prompted by a previous, nearby excavation of late Roman stone buildings and a small number of Anglo-Saxon-style structures.
Kylie Buxton, on-site supervisor for the excavations, said:"It is every archaeologist's dream to work on a 'once in a lifetime' site, and supervising these excavations is definitely a career-high for me."There is always a chance of finding burials, but to have discovered a cemetery of such significance, at such a time of transition, was quite unbelievable.
"For me, it was a particular honour to excavate the high-status lead coffin burial, but it was a great team effort by everyone involved." Along with the Roman coffin, burial practices found in the cemetery indicated early Christian beliefs, as well as Saxon burials, and personal possessions such as knives and pottery.David Hunter, principal archaeologist with West Yorkshire Joint Services, said the find could be of"massive significance" for what we understand about the development of ancient Britain and Yorkshire.
He added:"The presence of two communities using the same burial site is highly unusual and whether their use of this graveyard overlapped or not will determine just how significant the find is. When seen together the burials indicate the complexity and precariousness of life during what was a dynamic period in Yorkshire's history.
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