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A forensic artist has reconstructed the appearance of the sole man found crucified in Roman Britain about 2,000 years ago – proclaiming “I am gazing upon a countenance from centuries past.”
The cause of death for the man who was killed in a painful manner is still unknown. However, his remains were discovered in Cambridgeshire three years ago, revealing that a two inch nail had been forcefully inserted through his heel bone.
In 2017, a dig in Fenstanton revealed the grave of a man who was estimated to be 5’7” tall and in his mid-30s at the time of his death. The skeleton was later discovered in 2021.
The skeleton of the man discovered in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire.
Based on radiocarbon dating, it is estimated that he died sometime between 130AD and 337AD. During this period, his grave would have been located in a Roman settlement situated between Roman Cambridge and Godmanchester.
The man, among dozens of bodies found at the site of a new housing development, was only the second Roman crucifixion victim ever found in the world. The first was unearthed in Israel in 1968.
The BBC’s latest documentary, “The Cambridgeshire Crucifixion,” details the process of reconstructing his face through the use of DNA and forensic data collected from his remains.
Joe Mullins, a professor at George Mason University in Virginia, USA, collaborates with law enforcement to reconstruct the faces of victims of criminal acts. He conducted the reconstruction.
Based on DNA and isotopic data, Professor Mullins and his team determined that the individual most likely had brown hair and brown eyes. Evidence of leg atrophy, punishment-related injuries, and indications of being restrained all suggest that he was crucified.
The nail pierced through the heel bone, indicating the crucifixion.
Traditionally, crucifixions involved nailing the limbs to a wooden cross, but occasionally the Romans would use rope to secure the limbs instead.
This was a cruel and ancient form of punishment used on both criminals and a large group of slaves who were crucified for minor offenses.
In the 4th century AD, Constantine I ultimately eliminated this method of penalization.
It is believed that the man from Cambridgeshire was murdered approximately half a mile away from the cemetery where his body was laid to rest.
According to Professor Mullins, the case discussed in the program was intriguing because he had access to an equal or greater amount of information compared to a contemporary case.
He stated, “The issue at hand was the fragmented skull. There is no alternative explanation. It was like solving a puzzle.”
The bones in their burial site
This is more than just a skull – it is a face from many centuries ago, and looking at it is an experience that will stay with me forever.
Corinne Duhig, a human bone specialist from Cambridge University’s Wolfson College, described the skeleton as “almost one-of-a-kind” because of its excellent preservation and the presence of a nail in the bone.
According to her, this demonstrates that even the residents of a small colony on the outskirts of the empire were subject to Rome’s most brutal form of punishment.
Source: independent.co.uk
