Skeleton of Roman soldier and belt buckle were found in Leicester

A beautifully ornate belt buckle was found on a Roman legionary’s skeleton in a modest grave in Leicester, England..

The tomb is located on the west bank of the River Sour, near Fosse Way – an important road in the old Roman city. The style of the belt suggests that the man to whom it belonged lived in the 4th or 5th century CE.

The buckle is decorated with dolphin heads and dogs – typical late Roman motifs used in clerical symbolism. The belt buckle is extremely thin, and made of bronze.

The owner of the belt had severe health problems as a child, but in adulthood, he enjoyed great health, apart from breaking his left forearm and weakening the wrist – injuries typical of a raised arm to resist a blow.