Monument record 8040 - Infirmary Fields Roman Cemetery

Infirmary field is the site of a Roman cemetery first discovered in 1858 subsequent investigations in the area have identified over 45 inhumations. The excavated burials consists only of internments and not cremations however several cremations were noted in the initial discovery in 1858. In the earlier stages of the Roman period cremation was the customary burial rite. During the second century, interment was introduced as an alternative, and by the end of the third century it had completely replaced cremation as the habitual burial practice. The excavations in 1912-1917 on the site of the Royal Infirmary recorded 50 inhumations alone and appear to date to the mid first to mid second century although one chambered burial is thought to be early third century indicating an early inhumation cemetery. These excavations have provided us with the most information on this cemetery. The majority of burials whose sex could be determined were male, and many were young adults; only a small proportion were child burials. The graves were largely simple and dug into the subsoil. Most had iron nails associated with them, presumably from wooden coffins which had subsequently degraded. Some of these graves had roof tiles used in their construction, either as a covering or placed vertically at the sides and ends. Two of the burials were found in cists or chambers constructed of sandstone blocks and covered in tiles and rubble. Several tiles bore the stamps of Legio XX, an army legion which was based at Chester. Few tombstones were recovered, probably because they were later robbed for re-use as building stone. Seven of the graves were discovered with coins placed somewhere in the body, often in the mouth, and several also had sandals at the feet of the body. Roman burials were frequently accompanied by pottery, money, lamps and other accessories. The grave goods were included in the belief that the dead person should be supplied with all possible earthly comforts for their journey to the underworld. One grave contained a broken mirror in a pot, and the burial of a young girl held a small lamp, several coins and a pair of gold earrings.