Construction workers discovered an ancient Roman sarcophagus at a building site near Borough Market, London, United Kingdom. The find dates back 1600 years and is said to contain remains of a mother after the bones of a baby were found earlier nearby.

The sarcophagus was found several metres underground with its lid slid open, which indicates it was plundered by 18th century thieves. It is believed the object is 1600 years old and contains the remains of a member of nobility. It has been left filled with soil after being robbed, not allowing the experts to identify the body, but archaeologists discovered small bones and a broken Roman bracelet in the surrounding soil.

The lid of the sarcophagus was split in two by a large crack, which is possibly the work of thieves who broke into it during the post-medieval period. Experts suspected that the building site may have once been a Roman cemetery in proximity to two large Roman roads, hence the archaeological supervision of the area. It is believed the sarcophagus once held a high status inhabitant of Roman London, but to confirm it a detail analysis of the content must be conducted, therefore experts at the Museum of London will now test and date the bones and soil inside.

(after Belfast Telegraph, Lauren Hurley & BBC News)