Archaeologists in England, in 2015, made a unique discovery. The skeleton of a 27-year-old woman was found in Cirencester, with her own tombstone with inscriptions next to her body. The inscriptions suggest that her name was Bodica and she had Celtic roots: “To the spirit of Bodici, wife, 27 years of age”. Three children were buried with her, presumably her own.
A unique aspect of the find is the fact that the tombstone shows the name of the person who was buried, which is rare for this region. Interestingly, the arrangement of the inscription suggests that the empty space on the side of the inscription was to be anticipated for the husband in the future. It is possible that Bodica was a local girl who married a Roman or Gala from present-day France and thus adopted some customs from across the water, including burial. Scientists also emphasize the very good condition of the tombstone, which suggests that it was very expensive.
In Great Britain alone, 300 to 400 Roman tombstones have been discovered, and in Cirencester alone, it is the tenth such find. Interestingly, more such tombstones could be found in Cirencester itself, were it not for the fact that in the Middle Ages they were massively destroyed and the material was used as a building material.
Finally, it is worth adding that Cirencester, or Roman Corinium, was the second-largest city in Britain after London (Londinium).
