Roman bones at park-and-ride site

The Roman cemetery is thought to be a significant find

A team of archaeologists in Leicestershire has uncovered several ancient bodies at the site of a new park-and-ride development.

Excavations are continuing in Enderby after the discovery of what is thought to be a small Roman rural cemetery.

The skeletons were found close to the former Fosse Way Roman road.

Archaeologists have also found bodies from the Iron Age at the same site, a silver Roman coin as well as items from the medieval period.

'Intriguing' discovery

The work was commissioned by Leicestershire County Council and carried out by University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS).

Ernie White of Leicestershire County Council said: "This is a significant discovery. Individual burials are more usually encountered but rural cemeteries from the Roman period are not a common find.

"The findings are also intriguing as the presence of a cemetery also suggests the nearby location of an as yet unidentified Roman settlement site.

"If these remains had not been excavated as part of this scheme, it is likely that the on-going effects of farming would have led to the finds being lost."

The new £9m park-and-ride facility is due to open in autumn 2009.