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Bones find may be Roman

5:48pm Tuesday 1st April 2008

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Archaeologists working in Oxford city centre have unearthed bones that could be more than 2,000 years old.

A team of archaeologists has been excavating a site between St Giles and Blackhall Road since mid January - and last week the diggers struck bone, uncovering what could be a mass grave.

Seven bodies, believed to date to the Roman or Saxon period, have been found at the site.

Sean Wallis, project officer for Reading-based Thames Valley Archaeological Services, said "The whole of the site has been quite dense with archaeology but the area that the bodies turned up we only started on last week.

"We've got legs and arms and torsos at the moment but we haven't got any full skeletons.

"We are speculating they could be Roman but there is a chance they may be from a later date."

The dig is part of planning requirements for the construction of a new quadrangle for St John's College.

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Mr Ison, England says...
11:59pm Tue 1 Apr 08

Oxfords founding fathers really cannot have envisioned their seat of power would be overun by such disrespectful persons.

Only a foreigner would disturb their rest and that was not going to happen as Treason is punishable by death.

No one knows who they were and yet their wisdom remains.

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Nick, Oxford Brookes says...
11:21am Wed 2 Apr 08

Your wierd...

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Tony Brett, Oxford says...
12:44pm Wed 2 Apr 08

Your weird what?

Or do you mean:

You're weird ?

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alan page, says...
12:59pm Wed 2 Apr 08

Tony, He's a student.
What do you expect? H probably means "wired"!

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Tom D, Oxford says...
1:43pm Wed 2 Apr 08

Mr Ison wrote:
Oxfords founding fathers really cannot have envisioned their seat of power would be overun by such disrespectful persons. Only a foreigner would disturb their rest and that was not going to happen as Treason is punishable by death. No one knows who they were and yet their wisdom remains.
Since the Crime and Disorder Act of 1998 the penalty for treason is a mere life imprisonment, so no their wisdom does not remain.

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BioHazard, says...
4:51pm Wed 2 Apr 08

Were there any dog bones with the human ones, or any Big Issues written on parchment.

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Ben Blake, South Dakota, USA says...
9:47pm Wed 2 Apr 08

Come on now... Do you think they will find an skulls? I seriously doubt it. We were (pir ancestors) the "Head Hunters" of the Iron Age, worshiping the Cult of the Human Head.

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Mr Ison, England says...
10:33pm Wed 2 Apr 08

And yet the timeless wisdom does remain.

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Archaeologist Alex Starkie uncovers a skull Archaeologist Alex Starkie uncovers a skull

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