A “high-ranking individual” covered in liquid chalk has been found buried in an ancient Roman-era cemetery discovered in England.

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient cemetery in England dating back to the Roman period. This cemetery is a Roman-era burial, most likely belonging to a very prominent man during his time, entirely submerged in liquid chalk.

Historians believe that the custom of using chalk in burials was developed before Roman times to allow the body and soul of the deceased to be preserved after death and that it was practised only by men who had earned the respect of their clan or social group.

Researchers found that the central tomb contained a stone coffin carved from a single limestone block. They say that the burial in this grave was covered with gypsum before the capstones were placed on the coffin.

“For reasons that archaeologists do not fully understand, Romans sometimes poured liquid plaster, a mineral used to make various types of cement and plaster, onto the clothed bodies of adults and children before burying them in lead or stone coffins,” archaeologists from the University of York explained.

Scientists say this method preserves some traces of the individual by moulding their surroundings. It is often associated with prominent urban centres but is rarely found in rural parts of Roman Britain.

This method indicates a high-status burial, as analysis of plaster casts found during a previous excavation in York revealed traces of expensive oils and perfumes.

The cemetery, which dates back to the Roman period between AD 42 and AD 410, was discovered before construction to widen a Cambridgeshire motorway.

Archaeologists found a piece of fabric preserved in plaster fragments and traces of the shroud in which an eminent person was buried. A glass vessel, pieces of leather, pottery shards and animal bone were also recovered from the plaster fragments surrounding the tomb.

Researchers suspect that the glass container may have been toasted or offered a drink for the deceased before being placed in the grave. Such a burial would come at a high cost. According to researchers, the stone coffin was not only beautifully carved but also made of stone quarried from approximately 50 km away.

“Both the beautifully carved stone coffin and the plaster burial are indicative of a high-status individual,” say the researchers, who suspect that this burial may belong to the leader of a prominent family in Roman-era Britain.

Excavations also revealed higher-status graves containing jewellery and other valuable items within the cemetery.