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In the fenlands of eastern England,
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archaeologists uncover
the ancient remains of 48 people.
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00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,400
It was just an ordinary field
in Cambridgeshire.
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00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,040
Hidden among the graves is one
particularly incredible find.
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We've got an individual
with a nail through his heel.
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We started to realise that this
really was something special.
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The best preserved example of
Roman crucifixion ever unearthed.
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This is a diamond find, so to speak.
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Who was this person?
How did they live?
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00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,080
And why were they put to death
in such a horrific way?
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00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,760
It's such a brutal form of execution
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00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,360
that it's just almost impossible
to imagine.
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00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,320
Now, with cutting-edge modern
techniques, we unravel this mystery.
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Presumably you've never seen
anything like this before? Never.
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What kind of world did they inhabit?
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People died. They were enslaved.
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00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,840
The Roman conquest
was bloody and violent.
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How did they die?
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The way these nails were inserted
does not suggest that you had a body
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on a cross in the position
of the standard crucifix.
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And in a world first,
we unveil the face
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of a victim of Roman crucifixion.
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This is by far the most
interesting skull
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that I've ever worked on
in my career.
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With pioneering science
and expert investigation,
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we reveal the anatomy of
a Cambridgeshire crucifixion.
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Working at Albion Archaeology
we have the fortune,
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although it doesn't always
feel like that,
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of working in a fantastic Grade I
listed church.
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Dates back to the late
Anglo-Saxon period.
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It's a beautiful building
to work in.
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It's freezing cold in the winter
and too hot in the summer
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and the electricity, I think,
was put in by Thomas Edison maybe
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back in the 19th century.
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But it has character.
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A lot of people come in here
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and don't realise it
actually is an office.
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They think it's some sort
of storeroom or warehouse
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or junk shop, possibly.
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But you can build a fort
with the boxes. True.
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Within this centuries-old church
in the east of England,
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there are thousands
of archaeological treasures.
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We're a commercial
archaeology company,
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which means that we work where
there's going to be development.
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The team excavate sites of potential
archaeological interest
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before developers are allowed
to build on the land.
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They have rescued countless items
from thousands of years
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of British history.
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But one job stands out -
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the unearthing of a gruesome
3rd-century mystery,
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and one of the rarest discoveries
of all time.
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At the time of the Fenstanton dig,
I was the site supervisor,
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which means I'm coordinating
the digging on site.
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Fenstanton lies north-west of
the city of Cambridge,
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near an old Roman road named
the Via Devana.
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In 2016, archaeologists were
called in to inspect a patch of land
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to the south of the village.
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So there was a house-building
company that wanted to put up
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85 new houses on the site.
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It was just an ordinary field
in Cambridgeshire.
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Nothing special about it at all.
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And it was only teasing out
the story through the excavation
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that we started to realise that this
really was something special.
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Across two years of digging,
the team found huge quantities
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of Roman pottery,
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small personal items and jewellery.
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Evidence of a significant
Roman roadside settlement.
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And among the treasure trove
of Roman artefacts,
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they found the people
who left them behind.
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You suddenly see these patches
in the soil.
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That's when you start to think,
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well, maybe we've got some
human remains here.
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On the edges of the settlement,
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five separate cemeteries
were discovered
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containing the remains of 48 people.
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Every skeleton is drawn,
measured, located.
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They are all given individual
numbers within the grave.
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Among the remains was one
extremely special case -
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skeleton 4926.
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And it held a secret that
the initial digging did not unearth.
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To be honest, on site,
there was really nothing to say
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it was any different
from any of the others.
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He was buried alongside
five other individuals.
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It was just an ordinary grave.
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But once skeleton 4926
was brought back to HQ,
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something very strange was revealed.
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We left it in the lab
for a couple of days
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and then the person who was
washing the bones at the time
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suddenly noticed
something slightly unusual.
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A nail through the heel bone.
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It went a bit quiet at that point.
People were asking each other,
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"Have you seen anything
like this before?"
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"Have you heard of anything
like this before?"
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Silence.
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Sort of joking, almost, "Oh,
it must mean he's been crucified."
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We looked up online - "crucifixions,
archaeological evidence."
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We all assumed that there
must be lots of evidence for that
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because it's so well-known through
history, art, religion, literature.
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And we drew up one example
from Israel from the 1960s,
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and that was it.
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At which point we started to realise
the significance of what we'd got.
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A skeleton from Roman Britain
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discovered with a nail
through its right heel bone.
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If this person really was crucified,
it would be one of the most
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significant archaeological finds
in history.
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To try to solve the case,
the team calls in some expert help.
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We are in my lab,
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my tiny lab in Cambridge.
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Dr Corinne Duhig teaches
at Cambridge University
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and is an expert
in osteoarchaeology.
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We can call ourselves
osteoarchaeologists
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or bioarchaeologists,
but it all means the same thing,
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which is that we are
examining human remains
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to record them
and tell their stories.
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And for 15 years I worked
with the police doing...
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..investigations into crime scenes
or potential crime scenes.
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Whether it's a forensic
or an archaeological investigation,
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Corrine is an expert at unravelling
mysteries by studying bones.
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So Albion Archaeology called me up
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and there was this slightly wobbly
voice on the other end saying,
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"We've got an individual
with a nail through his heel."
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And there was a kind of pause
while we both registered that.
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And then, "Could it possibly
be a crucifixion?"
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Now, I'm very sceptical and my
immediate reaction to anything
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that's dramatic like that is to say,
"No, no, it probably isn't."
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We've got one instance only
in the whole world of...
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..a definite crucified individual.
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This is in Israel, and that is
because the nail became anchored
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into the bone, because it curled,
it bent as it was going in.
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So to have something like this
appear with a nail in position
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on the body,
if it were a crucifixion,
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it would be the second only
that we know in the world,
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it would be the first in Britain.
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Corrine tries to think
of another explanation
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for the nail through the heel bone.
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There is evidence that some cultures
nailed down the deceased
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to prevent their spirit
from wandering.
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But when we examine the literature
from the Roman period,
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we never find this kind of example
of a foot bone
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actually being pierced in order to
stop that spirit from moving about.
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She also considers whether the nail
was accidentally hammered
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into the bone while a coffin
was being built around the corpse.
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It's a bit unlikely, isn't it?
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Because you would think
if you put nails through it,
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you would surely stop
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if you met the bone.
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One explanation keeps
coming to the fore.
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I'm beginning to get
the awful thought
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that it could well be
a real crucifixion.
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Crucifixion was a punishment
that the Romans developed.
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It's a suspension punishment
in which a person is suspended
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on a vertical post
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or a post that has a vertical
and a horizontal component.
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The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth
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is undoubtedly the most famous
example of Roman crucifixion.
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But this brutal punishment was used
for hundreds of years
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before Christ's execution
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and continued for hundreds of years
after.
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I think the first reliable
references occur in Roman sources
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at the end of the 3rd century BC,
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and this brutal punishment
was still being used
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all the way till 300AD.
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That's 500 years of brutality.
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Crucifixion was mostly used against
those deemed lowest in society,
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like slaves
and traitors to the state.
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It was meant to degrade the victims
and serve as a warning to others.
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A passage mentions crucifying
bandits on a crossroads
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so that people would see that
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and be warned
against banditry and robbery.
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I think it was also used
against slaves to warn them off
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of slave rebellions.
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During the Spartacus revolt,
the sources say
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that thousands of people
were crucified
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along the Appian Way into Rome.
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According to the Jewish historian
Josephus,
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the Roman general Titus
was crucifying
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as many as 500 people a day
outside the gates of Jerusalem.
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So you start adding up
these numbers,
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it sounds like an awful lot.
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Despite its use on thousands
of people,
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Roman sources about crucifixion
are minimal.
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The Romans were reluctant
to discuss crucifixion.
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Cicero says even the word "cross"
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should be far from a citizen's ear.
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Gospel accounts of
the crucifixion of Jesus
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are the most detailed account of
any crucifixion in the Roman world.
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But it's also a bit frustrating
because they don't tell a whole lot.
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Even rarer than written evidence
is physical evidence,
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with only one confirmed crucifixion
case ever found
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with a nail through bone.
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If they did crucify at least
100,000 people or more,
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and I'm convinced that they did,
then where are all those nails?
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One explanation could be that
victims were more often simply
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tied to the cross using ropes,
and if nails were used,
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either as extra fastening
or to inflict greater pain,
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it seems Romans didn't let them go
to waste after the victim was dead.
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They simply remove the nails
and use them for other purposes,
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for other crucifixions
or to build a house.
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So uncovering a nail still in the
heel bone of a crucifixion victim
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from Roman Britain
is a truly remarkable discovery.
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And there is something else
that makes 4926 not just special,
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but unique.
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One of the wonderful
aspects of this discovery
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is that you have
a complete skeleton.
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I mean, this is a diamond find,
so to speak.
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As the best preserved example
of Roman crucifixion ever uncovered,
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we can analyse not only
this person's death,
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but their life, too.
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Who were they?
Where were they from?
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Rich or poor?
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Slave or free?
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And why did they meet
such a brutal end?
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In order to start unpacking
these mysteries,
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00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,400
Corinne is taking skeleton 4926
for a very special treatment...
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00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,880
There we go. We tuck him in there.
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..a state of the art CT scan.
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Try one, four. Yeah, let's go.
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MACHINE BEEPS CONTINUOUSLY
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My name is Alan.
I am the imaging manager
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00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,640
here at the Spire Cambridge
Lea Hospital.
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And I'm Iacopo.
I'm one of the radiographers
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00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:25,760
at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital.
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00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,240
Normally speaking,
we scan patients that are alive
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and can talk back to you.
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MACHINE: Take a breath in.
Or don't!
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MACHINE BEEPS
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00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,040
There's the head.
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00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,880
But this is something that I thought
was going to be interesting for me
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and my colleagues to do.
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And by scanning 4926,
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Corinne will be able
to study the remains
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00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:47,840
in more detail than ever before.
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There is the nail...
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..going back into the nail hole.
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Yeah, that's a good spot.
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It's a nice sort of
logical division, isn't it?
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00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,280
OK, right. We can start that.
Going to start that? OK.
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00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,640
We take some pictures
with an advanced machine,
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00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,240
which still uses X-rays technology.
240
00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,480
But we take so many X-rays
that we should be able
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00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:15,000
to see axial slices of it
instead of just a flat picture.
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We can take some 3D volumes
243
00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:19,200
and then do all sorts
of cool stuff with them.
244
00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,400
The image quality that we got
today was superb.
245
00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,520
We've created some great images
for the scientists
246
00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,360
to have a look at,
and try and dig a bit deeper into
247
00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,760
who this person was and what
actually happened to them.
248
00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:37,200
The scans are handed over
to a digital imaging company,
249
00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:38,840
who use them to create
250
00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:43,040
a cutting-edge 3D virtual model
of 4926.
251
00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:48,120
Now, Corinne can perform
a ground-breaking virtual autopsy.
252
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,960
And an old friend
will be helping her out.
253
00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,840
I first met Corrine when
I was an undergraduate.
254
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:58,560
Over 20 years ago now, and I still
remember that first time we met.
255
00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:02,800
Ben Garrod is now a professor
in biology and expert in anatomy,
256
00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,920
and he credits his former lecturer
Corinne with first inspiring him.
257
00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:09,200
Corinne helped me understand
the study of bones
258
00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:13,120
has a really strong and integral
place within the study of science.
259
00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,160
It's great to come together again
to look at what
260
00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,320
can only be described
as a very important discovery.
261
00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,480
And having a set of remains
like this can give us a snapshot
262
00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,520
in time showing us what his
or maybe her life was like,
263
00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,240
and ultimately how that life ended.
264
00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,400
Ben and Corinne begin by looking
at the basics -
265
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,200
the sex and age of 4926.
266
00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,880
But when dealing with
a centuries-old skeleton,
267
00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:40,640
nothing is straightforward.
268
00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,560
The big question for me,
first of all, is - male, female?
269
00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,200
It's not always easy.
It's not always easy.
270
00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,720
We've got to do it by lots of
different features around the body,
271
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,280
and we're looking primarily
at the pelvis
272
00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:55,400
because that's
primary sexual dimorphism.
273
00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,840
In other words,
that's what changes at puberty.
274
00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,600
So this area here, this is called
the sciatic notch,
275
00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,720
because this is where
the sciatic nerve passes through.
276
00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:08,080
In a male it will stay
in the narrow form,
277
00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:09,720
as you would find in a child.
278
00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,200
But in a female
it grows at puberty, opens out
279
00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,960
to make the pelvis bigger.
280
00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:16,440
I remember you teaching me years ago
281
00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,520
that it's something to do with the
actual angle, and you can measure it
282
00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,720
against your fingers
at a very loose estimation.
283
00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,240
If it's a certain angle, it's male.
284
00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:24,920
If it's slightly bigger,
it's female.
285
00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,680
In females, the angle
will be more than 90 degrees
286
00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,080
and can be very, very large indeed.
287
00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:36,080
What we're seeing here is a little
bit smaller than a right angle,
288
00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,080
only just a bit smaller.
289
00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,120
It is slightly more
in the male area of his pelvis.
290
00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,760
OK. So that's a good start for us.
291
00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,040
But that's not the whole picture,
as you say.
292
00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,800
The skull is very important for
helping determine male or female.
293
00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,960
So, first of all, let's look at
his frontal bone
294
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,160
immediately above
the root of the nose.
295
00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:59,200
And you can see that you've got this
heavy bulge on the frontal bone.
296
00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:03,120
So this is the real sort
of Arnold Schwarzenegger brow ridge.
297
00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,960
So I would typically
have a brow ridge,
298
00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,640
being a big, dominant, strapping...
Dominant primate. Yes.
299
00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,360
And you wouldn't typically see one
as accentuated or even present
300
00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,760
in yourself, for example.
Yeah, that's absolutely true.
301
00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,200
And in fact, I have no brow ridge,
302
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,120
having seen my own X-rays.
303
00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:20,920
You've said male a few times.
304
00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:22,640
Are you confident this is a man?
305
00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:27,120
Absolutely confident. He's coming
out as male or probably male
306
00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:30,160
in every one of the features
that we can score.
307
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,840
Corinne and Ben
are confident 4926 was male.
308
00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,880
But can they be as certain
of his age?
309
00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:42,320
Can we tell approximately how old
this person was when he died?
310
00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,520
All his bones have stopped growing
and are fused together.
311
00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,200
So we say he is skeletally adult.
Mm-hm.
312
00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,280
So from then on,
everything that we look at
313
00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,760
is about deterioration.
314
00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,280
I can see, I think,
some signs of wear and tear
315
00:16:58,280 --> 00:16:59,960
around his lower back here.
316
00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,920
So you can see it very, very well
in this image here.
317
00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,840
So these little nodules here,
318
00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,080
this backside of the vertebra
should be smooth.
319
00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,040
When we get past about 35 years old,
320
00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,320
we start getting these little
nodules developing
321
00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,960
because the discs are deteriorating
and it prompts this bone growth.
322
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,480
In this case, this guy has got
323
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:23,120
just a little bit
of this new bone growth.
324
00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:25,800
So we're saying he's over 35.
325
00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,600
Narrow it down,
he's probably 35 to 40ish.
326
00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,320
Skeleton 4926 was a male,
327
00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,440
aged mid to late 30s
at the time of death.
328
00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:41,400
But there are more complex questions
still to answer.
329
00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,400
Where was he from,
and when and how did he live?
330
00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,520
Radiocarbon dating of the remains
gives us a range of time
331
00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,760
when 4926 lived and died.
332
00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:55,560
Taking the midpoint of that range
and cross-referencing with certain
333
00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,160
artefacts found on the site
suggests that he most likely lived
334
00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,800
sometime around 250CE.
335
00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,000
So a key question is -
what was life like
336
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,160
in 3rd-century Roman Britain?
337
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,800
By the turn of the millennium,
Rome had evolved from a republic
338
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:13,040
into an empire.
339
00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,040
It held control over
the entire Mediterranean
340
00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,840
and in some places had already
done so for hundreds of years.
341
00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,560
It was THE unquestioned
dominant power of its day.
342
00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,160
But in the early 1st century,
343
00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,200
Britain was still
an unconquered land.
344
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,960
Britain, in terms of the wider
Roman Empire,
345
00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:32,680
is of course at the border.
346
00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:35,120
In the Mediterranean mindset,
347
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,560
Britain is a distant,
barbarous, wild land.
348
00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,840
We get a sense that Britain
is something that is difficult
349
00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,800
to encounter because the Channel
is conceptualised as an ocean.
350
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,280
The ocean is the limit
of the known world.
351
00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,280
To go beyond the ocean is to
expand the limits of empire
352
00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:52,640
beyond the known world.
353
00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,840
Britain had been in contact
with the Mediterranean world
354
00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,640
for centuries,
trading with the Carthaginians,
355
00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,840
Greeks and Romans.
356
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,520
But it wasn't until 43CE
357
00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,360
that it became part
of the Roman Empire.
358
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:11,440
Britain is conquered because
Claudius needs military prestige.
359
00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:14,400
So for an emperor like Claudius
to do that
360
00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,440
is a powerful part of how
you frame yourself as an emperor.
361
00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,440
Before the Roman invasion,
Britain was living in the Iron Age.
362
00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,640
Most of the indigenous population
lived in tribes,
363
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,440
in simple homes,
surviving off the land.
364
00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,360
But Roman rule brought changes.
365
00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:35,120
It became a province of the Roman
Empire, with towns and temples
366
00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:38,360
and forts and industry,
and all the rest of it.
367
00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:42,200
A province in which indigenous
and Roman operated side by side,
368
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,080
not always comfortably.
369
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:48,360
But as the period progresses,
you see different elements
370
00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:50,240
become more and more important.
371
00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:54,040
So there are large numbers of
Britons who serve in the Roman army
372
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:55,960
on the Rhine and the Danube.
373
00:19:55,960 --> 00:20:00,480
The Romans ruled over Britain
for more than 350 years
374
00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,720
and the remnants of their
occupation can still be seen
375
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,200
throughout its lands.
376
00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,840
4926 lived during the later
Roman period.
377
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,600
But what was his place
in this world?
378
00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,360
Was he a wealthy invading Roman?
379
00:20:17,360 --> 00:20:20,760
Or a poor, lowly worker
native to Britain?
380
00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:25,120
Corinne and Ben want to establish
this man's origins and his status.
381
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,400
We're talking about a time when
people were working on the land,
382
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,200
people had a much more
physically demanding lifestyle.
383
00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,560
We know people of the area,
of the time
384
00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,400
must have been working hard,
if only on agricultural work.
385
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,840
Looking at 4926's limbs,
386
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,240
Corinne and Ben can see some signs
of physical exertion.
387
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,200
And, analysing his skull,
388
00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,920
signs of tooth loss and painful
infections throughout his life.
389
00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,440
This is typical of all the
population uncovered at Fenstanton,
390
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:58,240
whose bones also showed high levels
of physical injury,
391
00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,760
arthritis and disease.
392
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:05,480
They were showing some signs
of environmental stress,
393
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,480
which might have been
iron deficiency anaemia
394
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,160
or it might have been
possibly malaria.
395
00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,120
All this implies that 4926
and his peers
396
00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:16,480
were poor, lower-class workers.
397
00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:20,560
So who were this mysterious
community found at Fenstanton?
398
00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:21,960
Locals to the area?
399
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,960
Or workers shipped in from
another part of the empire?
400
00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:30,520
To solve this mystery, we'll have to
dive into the world of ancient DNA.
401
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:38,960
My name is Dr Christiana Scheib.
402
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,600
I am a research fellow
at the University of Cambridge.
403
00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,680
I study ancient human DNA,
404
00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,680
so particularly people
from the medieval ages,
405
00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,040
but also looking at
the Roman period,
406
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:50,520
the Bronze Age, Neolithic.
407
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:52,720
As a leading expert
in ancient DNA,
408
00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,920
Christiana Scheib is the perfect
person to analyse
409
00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,520
the population uncovered
at Fenstanton.
410
00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,920
She tested 20 individuals
from the site,
411
00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:05,320
but even with plenty of samples,
when dealing with ancient bones,
412
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,200
there's little room for error.
413
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,040
With ancient DNA, you have this
time-stamped window into the past.
414
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:12,600
However, it comes with caveats.
415
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,440
Over time, DNA degrades.
416
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,000
And so if we want to find something
that's authentically ancient,
417
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,680
you need to have really strict
contamination prevention measures.
418
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,000
People who go into the ancient DNA
lab have to cover their hair,
419
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,320
their skin, wear masks,
wear specialised suits
420
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,720
to prevent getting their modern DNA
421
00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,960
into our ancient sample
that we want to look at.
422
00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,880
Every time I work on a new
individual or a population,
423
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,920
I always think about this sample
as a person, you know.
424
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:43,840
Who was this person?
425
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,800
How did they live their life?
What did they experience?
426
00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,720
After processing the samples
from Fenstanton,
427
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,520
Christiana is able to compare
the genetic make-up
428
00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:56,560
of that population against other
samples from the same time period.
429
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,080
Her conclusions are revealing.
430
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,120
So the population of Fenstanton
from a genetic perspective
431
00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:06,560
looked a lot more like other
individuals that we've sequenced
432
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,720
from the UK from that time period.
433
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,200
So you could say
they were probably local.
434
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,600
We didn't find any individuals
who looked more genetically
435
00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,920
like somebody from North Africa
or the Middle East,
436
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,960
as has been found in some of the
other sites from this time period.
437
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:24,160
The ancient DNA tells us
that the people found at Fenstanton
438
00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:25,840
were local to the area.
439
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:33,840
But to be really sure,
4926 is getting some further tests -
440
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,760
tests that will not only confirm
where he's from,
441
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,800
but even reveal things about
how he lived and what he ate.
442
00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,280
My name's Jane Evans.
I'm a geologist.
443
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,120
My particular responsibility is,
in fact, to look at collaborating
444
00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:48,400
with archaeologists.
445
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,160
70 miles north of Cambridge
446
00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,680
at the British Geological Survey
in Nottinghamshire,
447
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:58,440
Professor Jane Evans
is a leading expert in isotopes.
448
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,880
Most people will be familiar with
the idea of elements -
449
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,320
calcium, iron, oxygen.
450
00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,120
But those elements sometimes have
slightly different forms
451
00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:09,840
caused by having different
weights or masses.
452
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:13,760
And so an isotope is the name
we give to the different types
453
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:15,360
of a particular element.
454
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,520
When you get a situation
where you've excavated an individual
455
00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,960
and you know nothing about them,
isotopes can really start
456
00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,400
to give you some constraints
and control
457
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,840
on who they were
and where they come from.
458
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,560
By taking tiny samples from
ancient tooth and bone,
459
00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,000
and analysing the isotopes within,
460
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,880
Jane can recreate the lives
of long-dead people.
461
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,120
And she's worked on
some unique cases,
462
00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:44,040
including analysing a tooth
of King Richard III.
463
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:49,840
We can, with a single tooth,
do analysis for carbon, nitrogen,
464
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,800
sulphur, lead, strontium and oxygen,
465
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,880
which can tell us
about a person's diet,
466
00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,440
where they lived, the levels
of pollution they were exposed to.
467
00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,440
Strontium is an interesting element
because its isotope composition
468
00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:08,560
is related to ultimately the rocks
on which our food supply was grown.
469
00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,520
And we can map those variations
across Britain.
470
00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,800
Oxygen isotopes are derived or
picked up from the water you drink.
471
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,680
Sulphur is an interesting
and quite new element to be used.
472
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,760
If you're living in an area
of swampy land
473
00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:24,840
where the conditions are very wet,
474
00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,960
the plants pick up an
interesting sulphur signature.
475
00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,000
Strontium, oxygen
and sulphur levels can reveal
476
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,880
where a person lived,
477
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,520
but nitrogen reveals more
about HOW they lived.
478
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,600
Nitrogen basically tells you
how high up the food chain you are.
479
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:45,320
So people with a high-meat diet
will have higher nitrogen values
480
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,240
than, say, vegans or herbivores.
481
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,800
It's time to find out what
4926's isotopes tell us about him.
482
00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,000
Well, he had a fairly elevated
nitrogen value, which suggests
483
00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,200
that there was a significant
component of meat in his diet.
484
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,920
And the carbon isotopes show
that also there was a slight shift
485
00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,160
over towards a marine component.
486
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,840
This, again, is quite typical
of the Roman populations
487
00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,840
who make use of fish sources
and this kind of thing.
488
00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:14,320
A typical Roman diet.
489
00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,320
And when it comes to where 4926
was from,
490
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,560
the isotopes reveal
something striking.
491
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,320
This map enables us to enter
the isotope data
492
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,920
and to reject any areas in Britain
that don't match it.
493
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,800
So I've marked Fenstanton
where the individual was found
494
00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,160
on the map here, and if
we start with the oxygen,
495
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:34,080
you'll see that we exclude
the western area of Britain
496
00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,440
as a place where he could have
spent his childhood.
497
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,720
If we add to that the strontium,
498
00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,920
this further reduces the possible
childhood origins of the individual
499
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,040
into the south-east area of
Britain.
500
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,040
But if I then add
the sulphur isotopes,
501
00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:51,280
this really reduces
it to a very small area.
502
00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,720
This is where he was found
and these orange areas
503
00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,520
represent the areas where he could
have spent his childhood,
504
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,080
based on the isotope composition
of his teeth.
505
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:04,000
Clear evidence that 4926
was local to Cambridgeshire.
506
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,160
I've done a lot of these studies
and this study is particularly
507
00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,840
interesting because of how well
we've been able to pinpoint it.
508
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:14,320
This is by far and away
the best location of an individual
509
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,040
that we've achieved.
510
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:20,160
Jane's analysis also shows
that 4926's isotope levels
511
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,080
barely change over
the course of his life.
512
00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:28,400
I would say this guy is really
quite sedentary, quite static.
513
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:34,040
4926 was a local Cambridgeshire man
who never left the area.
514
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,320
But it's clear there was
a Roman influence in his diet.
515
00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:41,120
So how else did the empire
influence his life?
516
00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:44,880
Did it affect his home,
his lifestyle, his work?
517
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,720
And what exactly might
that work have been?
518
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:52,480
The virtual autopsy offers Ben
and Corinne a tantalising clue.
519
00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,880
You've got red for the really
heavily dense areas
520
00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,080
and then greens into
less dense bone.
521
00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,760
And you're seeing a distribution
of density across the skeleton here.
522
00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,280
We could look at his arms
523
00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:08,200
and see whether there's
any substantial changes there.
524
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,800
There is here. He's got greater
density in his right forearm
525
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:13,880
than his left. Hmm.
526
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,720
So that suggests there might
have been some kind of
527
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,840
specialist activity that he was
constantly doing.
528
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,480
Seeing this in the medieval
and later times,
529
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,520
rope makers who are constantly
making the same twisting movement
530
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,840
over and over again
with their forearms.
531
00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,280
We're not seeing it in the humerus
here, so we're not seeing manual,
532
00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:33,080
he's not chopping with an axe.
533
00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,400
It's rather nice seeing
that disproportion, isn't it?
534
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:39,400
It's amazing. We start to recreate
not only his age and his sex,
535
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,960
but suddenly maybe what job he did.
536
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:45,200
We already know that the remains
from Fenstanton showed signs
537
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:47,000
of degeneration and disease,
538
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,600
implying the people there
were lower-class workers.
539
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:56,080
And now we can say 4926 likely did
some kind of manual job.
540
00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:59,320
But before we can determine
what that job was,
541
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,120
first we need to know more
about the place where he worked.
542
00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,240
So what was this settlement
uncovered at Fenstanton?
543
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:08,360
A grand Roman town?
544
00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:10,160
A humble farmstead?
545
00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,640
Or something else entirely?
546
00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:16,080
To help visualise what the
settlement may have looked like,
547
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,400
archaeologist David has come to
Butser Ancient Farm
548
00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,520
near England's south coast.
549
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,440
Here, recreations of ancient homes
have been painstakingly built
550
00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,320
by a team of experts.
551
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,080
We think that the settlement
at Fenstanton started off
552
00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,160
in the Roman period,
in probably the 1st century AD.
553
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,520
Fenstanton was
a roadside settlement,
554
00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:38,920
a specific type
of Roman settlement -
555
00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:40,400
it would have been like a village.
556
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,760
The site that we excavated was on
the southern edge of the village.
557
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,360
But at the northern edge
there are bits and pieces
558
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,040
that have been excavated
in the past
559
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:50,600
suggesting that there's
a Roman villa there.
560
00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:53,320
The building that I'm standing
next to is the sort of building
561
00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:55,920
that you might have seen at
the northern edge of Fenstanton.
562
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,840
Villas, although they
were quite grand to us,
563
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:00,840
they were essentially farms.
564
00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,080
You've got clusters of them around
some of the larger Roman towns
565
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:08,560
and Roman cities where they needed
to supply the cities with food,
566
00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:10,880
grain, meat and so on.
567
00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,120
Somewhere like Fenstanton, it would
have been a local aristocrat
568
00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,760
living there who would have
looked after the local countryside.
569
00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:20,400
It's probable that 4926's
settlement was overseen
570
00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:22,920
by a wealthy landlord or custodian.
571
00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,400
And as Butser's replica suggests,
572
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:28,760
his villa would have been
a statement of his power.
573
00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:30,960
Roman villas
were very much luxurious,
574
00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,080
opulent, lavishly decorated.
575
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,240
It was to display your wealth.
576
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,480
They'd have invited
other local aristocrats around,
577
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,800
public officials, to demonstrate
how well they'd adopted
578
00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,120
the Roman lifestyle.
579
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,800
Britain was one of the furthest
outposts of the Roman Empire,
580
00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,440
but Roman villas would have been
a reminder to anyone living
581
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,080
in Roman Britain that they were
still part of this empire.
582
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,400
Villas became increasingly popular
in Britain in the 3rd century,
583
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,440
but the average native,
like 4926,
584
00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,280
wouldn't have experienced
their comforts.
585
00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,840
Most Britons were probably
still living in homes
586
00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,280
similar to the ones their
ancestors had lived in
587
00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:08,960
before the Roman occupation.
588
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,600
Somewhere like Fenstanton,
even though we know there's a villa
589
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,520
on the northern edge of the village,
most of the buildings around there
590
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,920
would have been peasant structures,
native structures,
591
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,320
possibly still the roundhouses.
592
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,200
And Butser's Iron Age village
helps bring to life
593
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,800
the broader settlement
and the kind of house
594
00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,760
that our crucified man
may have lived in.
595
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:30,880
We think the Roman population
of Britain had round about
596
00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,560
80% to 90% of people living in
rural, low-level,
597
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:38,160
low-status houses where people
would have also worked,
598
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,480
carried out their
business, slept,
599
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,880
done everything all under one roof.
600
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,200
We are beginning to build a picture
of 4926's existence.
601
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,560
He lived in a large
roadside village,
602
00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:53,280
probably in a humble dwelling
such as an Iron Age roundhouse,
603
00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:57,240
and in the shadow
of a nearby luxurious Roman villa.
604
00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,280
His would have been
a tough existence.
605
00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:02,200
It would have been
a hard life for them,
606
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:03,720
there's no two ways about that.
607
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,360
We found lots of signs of illnesses
and injury on the population
608
00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:09,760
of the cemeteries that we excavated.
609
00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:11,720
It was a very physical life.
610
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,320
You had to work for your living.
611
00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,240
You were there to produce
the sort of profits, surpluses
612
00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,880
for whoever owns the settlement,
or for the state.
613
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:25,320
If 4926 and his peers
were working for a wealthy landlord,
614
00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,280
what work
were they being made to do?
615
00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:31,440
The answer lies in the animal bones
uncovered on site.
616
00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:35,320
One fascinating snapshot that we did
have of industrial life there
617
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,240
is that we had a huge number
of cattle bones
618
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:39,760
coming out of the excavations,
619
00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,600
and a very high percentage
of those had been split.
620
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,960
We think they were doing this
to extract marrow, grease, fat,
621
00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:47,920
that sort of material
out of the bones,
622
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:51,560
specifically to process that
for making cosmetics, soap,
623
00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:53,520
possibly tallow for candles.
624
00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,040
We think they might even
have been importing carcasses
625
00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,720
of pre-processed beef
from nearby Roman towns,
626
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,320
perhaps such as Godmanchester,
Cambridge.
627
00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:05,160
So it's not a self-sufficient
settlement,
628
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,000
it's part of a much bigger network.
629
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:13,480
4926 could have spent his days
doing specialised industrial work,
630
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,800
extracting marrow from bones
for processing,
631
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,600
which could well explain
the increased density
632
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:22,600
spotted by Corinne and Ben
in his right forearm.
633
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:28,000
A simple man worked to the bone
as part of a vast empire.
634
00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,400
But other items found at Fenstanton
complicate the image
635
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,000
of a simple, poor working village.
636
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,000
To show this, archaeologist Kathy
has assembled
637
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,560
some of the artefacts uncovered
at Fenstanton.
638
00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:50,600
Dr James Gerrard is an expert
in Roman material culture
639
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,720
and is analysing the items
to help better understand
640
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,480
the place where 4926 lived.
641
00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,880
I've worked on a lot of rural sites
and certainly there's fancier,
642
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,840
nicer, a greater quantity
of metalwork than we would find
643
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,560
on a standard Romano-British site.
644
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,680
It's a really nice little
assemblage, isn't it?
645
00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:10,440
I love these objects.
646
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:12,920
Let's start with this one.
I think this is beautiful.
647
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,520
We call these toilet spoons,
which sounds a bit grim,
648
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,800
but they're really
sort of cosmetic instruments.
649
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,680
You've got a little scoop there,
perhaps for make-up or medicine,
650
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:24,480
and a little pointy thing there for
doing a bit of scraping and poking.
651
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:26,440
And that's a real change
we see from the Iron Age.
652
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,840
This interest in personal grooming
that comes with the Roman period,
653
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,080
and that seems to go quite a long
way down the social hierarchy.
654
00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:36,080
And this is part of that package,
isn't it?
655
00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,680
Even on a little rural site
like this, there are people
656
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:41,160
taking care of their appearance.
Yeah, definitely.
657
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:45,840
It's a very tactile object as well.
Yeah, it's lovely.
658
00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,680
There's that sense, isn't there,
this is an object that people used.
659
00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,200
Even if it was for scooping out
their ears. Indeed.
660
00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:53,640
THEY BOTH LAUGH
661
00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:55,720
This is a lovely object, isn't it?
662
00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:58,040
Maybe you can tell me
a bit more about this,
663
00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:00,320
because I've never seen
one of these before.
664
00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:03,040
As I understand it,
it's a little votive object.
665
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:06,120
So I think one of the theories is
you would put a candle in it.
666
00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,040
And you'd have that
in your household shrine
667
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:09,960
for your household gods or whatever?
Yeah.
668
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,920
Beautifully decorated with that
enamel. Just really nice objects.
669
00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,640
It appears that even among simple
communities like this one,
670
00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,160
Roman culture had
a strong influence,
671
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,680
adding flourishes to their personal
appearance and to their homes.
672
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:27,240
So, brought a selection
of some of the nicer,
673
00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:30,320
more whole bits of pottery
that we had from the site.
674
00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:32,160
These are lovely.
I love a good pot.
675
00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,880
And, as you say, it's really nice
to see almost intact vessels.
676
00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:37,600
And if you look really carefully,
677
00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,320
you can see the potter's
fingermarks. Oh, yeah.
678
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:43,400
Yeah. That's amazing.
679
00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,080
So they're the fingerprints
of a Roman potter.
680
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:50,360
I would think this one's probably
3rd-century drinking vessel.
681
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,840
Hold it in your hands,
probably for wine or beer.
682
00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:57,440
The beer could have been made
locally, but the wine, probably
683
00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,960
in the 3rd century,
more likely from the Rhineland,
684
00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:02,120
perhaps German white wine, you know.
685
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:04,080
Beautiful object.
686
00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,160
Even an apparently lowly
community like this
687
00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:12,000
would have had access to food and
goods from across the Roman Empire.
688
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,760
This is one of the differences
between the Iron Age
689
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,240
and the Roman period,
is these Roman populations
690
00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:19,000
just have access to more stuff.
691
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,200
But the cattle bones found on site
act as a stark reminder
692
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,200
that life at Fenstanton would have
been far from luxurious.
693
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,360
The idea that these animals were
being slaughtered somewhere else
694
00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,400
and then the limb bones transported
to the site to be processed,
695
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,400
it must have been a pretty grim
experience. Yeah.
696
00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,920
What you're looking at is
animals being processed
697
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,480
for the last scraps of everything.
698
00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:43,840
And this is typical of the Roman
world, this intensive exploitation.
699
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:49,800
We've now been able to paint
a picture of 4926's life.
700
00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:54,000
He was probably a low-status man
who never left Cambridgeshire,
701
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,000
who spent his days engaged
in manual work.
702
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,920
A tiny cog in Rome's vast machine.
703
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,080
That's how 4926 lived.
704
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,120
But what about his death?
705
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,080
How and why was this man crucified?
706
00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:19,400
Every part of the skeleton
tells its own chapter of a story.
707
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,600
But I think this particular skeleton
708
00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:24,920
had an unexpected twist.
709
00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,600
And it's with this - it's this huge
nail that was driven into the heel,
710
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:30,840
which for you, the first time
you saw it,
711
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,680
must have been incredible, right?
It was incredible.
712
00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,240
I spent a couple of years
trying not to believe it.
713
00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,440
So presumably you've never seen
anything like this before? Never.
714
00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:44,280
This is the heel. This is taking
a lot of the bounce when we walk.
715
00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,520
So back of the heel,
back of the foot there,
716
00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:48,720
incredibly weirdly shaped,
717
00:37:48,720 --> 00:37:51,400
quite a solid bone in some respects,
isn't it?
718
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:52,880
It is.
719
00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:56,320
But it actually has a very
interesting composition. Mm-hm.
720
00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:00,600
So it's got a thin
but dense outer coating.
721
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:04,200
And so in order to put
anything through it,
722
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,440
because it's very soft inside,
723
00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,040
you'd have to send something in
with a lot of energy.
724
00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,800
Otherwise you would simply
crush the bone.
725
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:14,840
Whereas in this case,
726
00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:19,720
it looks as though there's been
one swift, hard blow
727
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:22,040
which has taken it through
in one moment.
728
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:25,760
There is a little notch in here,
though, which isn't part
729
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,480
of the bone, typically.
Do we know what's happening here?
730
00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:31,680
I can only guess
that this was a misfire.
731
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,360
So somebody who's not so experienced
732
00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:37,520
starts driving the nail through
733
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,960
and it's the wrong angle
or it's a bit more difficult.
734
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,200
So they have another go.
735
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,480
Which is really indicating
that this isn't accidental.
736
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:50,960
This is a very intentional,
heavy blow.
737
00:38:56,120 --> 00:39:00,200
I'm feeling quite reverential,
quite respectful
738
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,480
to a digital image right now
because of something
739
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,200
that someone has gone through
that is unimaginable to me.
740
00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:07,120
So we always...
741
00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,680
..respect the remains
that we work with.
742
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,360
And particularly when I started
researching crucifixion
743
00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:19,240
and thinking harder about
what it was like as a torture
744
00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:21,160
as well as a mode of death.
745
00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:27,480
Yes. Your word, "reverential",
I give him more reverence
746
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,400
because of what he went through.
747
00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:33,560
I think that word, "torture",
is very apt here.
748
00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:35,320
This isn't just a man
who was killed.
749
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,640
This is a man who was tortured.
750
00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:39,680
BIRD CAWS
751
00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:45,560
Christian iconography has given us
a particular impression
752
00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:48,240
of how crucifixion
may have taken place.
753
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:54,400
But the brutal truth is this
punishment took many dreadful forms.
754
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,560
Josephus does mention the Romans
755
00:39:57,560 --> 00:39:59,880
using different forms
of crucifixion.
756
00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:04,640
There is a very famous legend
that Peter, one of the disciples,
757
00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:06,680
was crucified upside down.
758
00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:10,120
There are reports of Roman soldiers
crucifying victims
759
00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:13,760
in a variety of positions
to amuse themselves.
760
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,200
So what do 4926's bones
761
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:19,920
tell us about the specific way
he was put to death?
762
00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:21,760
To help shed some light on this,
763
00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,920
Corrine and Ben are joined
by Dr Piers Mitchell.
764
00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:29,000
He is the only person in the world
to physically examine
765
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:32,480
both 4926 and the only
other confirmed remains
766
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:34,720
of a crucifixion victim.
767
00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:37,880
So, yes, I was very fortunate
that when I was a young researcher
768
00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:40,280
in my 20s,
when I was out in Jerusalem,
769
00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:43,560
I had the good fortune
to see the original remains.
770
00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:47,600
The crucifixion case from Israel
was uncovered in 1968
771
00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,720
when a collection of bones was found
in a 1st-century ossuary,
772
00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:54,200
a box for preserving
skeletal remains.
773
00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:58,520
As with 4926, a nail
was found through a heel bone.
774
00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:02,240
When I heard that we found one
from Roman period
775
00:41:02,240 --> 00:41:06,920
in Cambridgeshire, I thought, wow,
a long way away, different century.
776
00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:10,080
But they still seem to be doing it
in an extremely similar way.
777
00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:14,520
The actual alignment of the nail,
the one we find here,
778
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:18,400
enters and crosses from
the outer side of the heel
779
00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:21,520
to the medial side of the heel
in just the same way that we see
780
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,440
in the example from Jerusalem.
781
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:27,280
The way these nails are inserted
does not suggest
782
00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:29,440
that you had a body on a cross
783
00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,960
in the position of
the standard crucifix. You're right.
784
00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:36,560
Both these cases do have the heels
on the outer side of the post
785
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,520
with the nail coming from
lateral to medial into the post.
786
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:43,320
The evidence shows that,
whether as additional torture
787
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,680
or to ensure he didn't escape,
788
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:50,120
4926's foot was nailed
to the side of the crucifix.
789
00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:53,760
The rest of his limbs were probably
fastened with ropes,
790
00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:58,280
and, exposed to the elements, he
would have been left to die slowly.
791
00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,760
I think the greatest misconception
of crucifixion
792
00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:06,320
was that it was a quick death.
793
00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,160
It's such a brutal form of execution
794
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:13,040
that it's just almost impossible
to imagine.
795
00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:17,880
What could 4926 have done
to warrant the cruellest
796
00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:20,600
and most degrading of punishment?
797
00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:23,320
What could his crime have been?
798
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,040
Crucifixion is a terrible way
to die.
799
00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:30,280
It's a form of torture and execution
rolled into one
800
00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:32,080
and it's very public.
801
00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:36,240
One of one of the reasons to crucify
somebody is to instil terror.
802
00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:39,520
The public nature of crucifixion
was crucial.
803
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:43,560
The Romans used it to deter lower
members of society from rebelling
804
00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:45,440
against their master's rule.
805
00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:49,520
They're particularly intolerant
of any form of treason, sedition -
806
00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:51,320
that's punishable with crucifixion.
807
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:55,640
If 4926 was some sort of rebel
fighting or plotting
808
00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:59,640
against his Roman masters, it would
have been grounds for crucifixion.
809
00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:02,200
And there is evidence
that uprisings were common
810
00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:04,880
throughout the Roman occupation
of Britain.
811
00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:07,880
There were a number of rebellions,
so Boudica is a good example.
812
00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:10,120
There are others,
Brigantes in the north.
813
00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,640
People died, they were enslaved.
814
00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:16,120
The Roman conquest
was bloody and violent.
815
00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:20,200
Unrest in Britain continued
into the 3rd century.
816
00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:23,400
So could 4926 have been
part of a failed uprising
817
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:26,800
in Cambridgeshire that led
to his crucifixion?
818
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:28,640
At the beginning of the 3rd century,
819
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:32,280
there had been a series
of military problems in the north,
820
00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:36,480
so with the Caledonians in what's
now Scotland, and they were crushed
821
00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:38,400
more or less by Septimius Severus.
822
00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:41,800
For the rest of the 3rd century,
we tend actually to think of Britain
823
00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,360
as being quite quiet.
824
00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,880
There is no strong evidence
of an uprising around Fenstanton
825
00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:50,000
in the 3rd century.
826
00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:53,800
So if 4926 wasn't a rebel,
827
00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:56,640
why else might he have been
crucified?
828
00:43:56,640 --> 00:44:00,960
In Latin they call crucifixion
the servile supplicium,
829
00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:02,960
the servile punishment.
830
00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:06,480
So it's a punishment used
particularly for slaves.
831
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:09,680
So if he was a slave, then
he could have been crucified
832
00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:11,200
for nearly any reason.
833
00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:14,720
Unlike citizens, slaves
had no legal protection.
834
00:44:14,720 --> 00:44:17,520
Their masters could,
in theory, crucify them
835
00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:19,360
for even small misdemeanours.
836
00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,720
This could mean that 4926
was a slave
837
00:44:22,720 --> 00:44:25,520
who somehow displeased his master.
838
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:28,760
But in the Roman world,
things were not that simple.
839
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,120
In the 1st century AD, Roman
citizenship was really important
840
00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:34,640
legally, so certain things
couldn't happen to you.
841
00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:37,200
If you're a Roman citizen,
in normal circumstances,
842
00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:38,920
you wouldn't be crucified.
843
00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,960
Before the 3rd century,
citizenship was enjoyed
844
00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:44,440
by a minority in the empire.
845
00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:47,200
It granted privileges
and protections.
846
00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:50,840
But during the 3rd century,
that all changed.
847
00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:53,960
So the date usually given is 212AD.
848
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,800
We have something called
the Constitutio Antoninian,
849
00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:58,880
or the Edict of Caracalla,
850
00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,240
which gave citizenship
to the majority of people
851
00:45:02,240 --> 00:45:04,120
in the Roman Empire.
852
00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:07,960
No-one knows for sure why
Emperor Caracalla did this.
853
00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:11,600
Some ancient authors say
that Caracalla only gave everybody
854
00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:14,640
citizenship because it increased
the number of taxpayers.
855
00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:18,280
Whatever his reasons, Caracalla
made more people citizens
856
00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:20,320
than ever before.
857
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:23,800
But that did not mean that
life became better or safer
858
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:25,680
for the poorest in society.
859
00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:29,800
We start to see this really
important legal distinction
860
00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,960
between the so-called honestiores,
the honest men,
861
00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:36,080
and the humiliores, the humble men.
862
00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,920
People of a higher status
and people who are more humble,
863
00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:41,080
to give a sort of
literal translation.
864
00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:45,120
We have accounts of people
undergoing examination
865
00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:48,760
in Roman courts, and often those
examinations will start with,
866
00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:50,480
"What is your status?"
867
00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:54,040
The humiliores, almost all
of their punishments
868
00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:56,240
are unpleasant and physical.
869
00:45:56,240 --> 00:45:59,360
And now actually humiliores,
who could be citizens,
870
00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:02,800
can also suffer
something like crucifixion.
871
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:08,200
By the 3rd century, both slaves
and citizens of low status
872
00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:09,840
could be crucified,
873
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:14,640
and no evidence survives to tell us
which 4926 was.
874
00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:19,640
But in the later Roman period,
the number of executions
875
00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:21,680
across the empire increased.
876
00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:25,120
As we go through the Roman period,
the empire becomes
877
00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:27,640
increasingly autocratic
and the judicial punishments
878
00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:29,080
become increasingly savage.
879
00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:33,480
And that's probably the sign
of an empire that is struggling
880
00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:35,200
to enforce its will.
881
00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:39,400
Evidence suggests the 3rd century
in Britain was relatively peaceful,
882
00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,680
and yet more executions
were taking place.
883
00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:45,480
The empire was becoming
increasingly brutal,
884
00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:48,520
with far more crimes
punishable by death.
885
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:51,440
So whether free or enslaved,
886
00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:54,040
a low-status man like 4926
887
00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:57,760
could have been executed
for even a minor crime.
888
00:46:57,760 --> 00:46:59,320
You have a legal system,
889
00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:01,880
but who has access
to that legal system?
890
00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:03,600
And is the legal system fair?
891
00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:07,720
It's a legal system in which
confessions are only admissible
892
00:47:07,720 --> 00:47:10,480
if they've been achieved
through torture.
893
00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,520
Governors can make decisions
in arbitrary fashions.
894
00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:18,160
They can choose to execute people
even if the law says they shouldn't.
895
00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:19,680
Who's going to stop them?
896
00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,840
4926 lived on a wild edge of empire.
897
00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:27,520
He could have been crucified
for being a rebel,
898
00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:32,280
or he could have simply
displeased a sadistic master.
899
00:47:32,280 --> 00:47:36,640
The real reason for his death
will forever remain unknown.
900
00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:44,400
Though 4926 met
a horrible and tragic end,
901
00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:46,240
there is one final mystery
902
00:47:46,240 --> 00:47:49,400
that might point to something
more hopeful.
903
00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:54,440
Something I find very intriguing
about this is,
904
00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:59,160
this man has been subjected to
this horrendous death and torture,
905
00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:04,440
and yet he was obviously given over
to his population afterwards
906
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:07,120
to have an absolutely normal burial.
907
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:09,760
Some texts imply
that after crucifixion,
908
00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:13,400
victims were left to rot
or dumped in a common grave.
909
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:17,440
And yet it seems this was
not the case with 4926.
910
00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:21,440
Some part of the community
was interested in giving this man
911
00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:22,960
a respectful burial.
912
00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:26,760
We know that you could petition
the person in power
913
00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:29,840
who ordered the execution to collect
the corpse of your loved one
914
00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:31,240
or friend or whoever.
915
00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:33,400
You know, the most famous
example of crucifixion,
916
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:34,720
the crucifixion of Jesus,
917
00:48:34,720 --> 00:48:37,480
Joseph of Arimathea
petitions Pontius Pilate
918
00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:40,480
and collects the body
and gives the body formal burial.
919
00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:42,600
We're probably seeing
something similar here.
920
00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:44,840
Friends and family
have collected this body
921
00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:46,600
and given it a respectful burial.
922
00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:50,560
Does his burial suggest
that despite his awful
923
00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:53,080
and humiliating execution,
924
00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:57,440
4926 still had people who cared
about him in his community?
925
00:48:59,240 --> 00:49:02,120
DNA analysis from
the other Fenstanton graves
926
00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:04,160
could provide insight.
927
00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:07,360
In the 20 individuals
that we looked at from Fenstanton,
928
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:11,320
we found evidence of
two close genetic relationships.
929
00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:13,360
One was a first-degree relationship
930
00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:15,480
and the other was
a second-degree relationship.
931
00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:17,880
First-degree relationships
are a parent or an offspring
932
00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:19,120
or full siblings.
933
00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:22,040
Second-degree relationships
are maybe a grandparent
934
00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:25,160
and their grand offspring
or an aunt, uncle.
935
00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:28,840
The evidence shows Fenstanton
was a very local population
936
00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:31,480
and some of the people found there
were related.
937
00:49:31,480 --> 00:49:34,040
This could suggest
a tight-knit community,
938
00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:38,360
one that cared for 4926
after his dreadful end.
939
00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:42,280
Whatever he did in life
and whoever punished him,
940
00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:45,400
he was accepted in death.
941
00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:48,080
He sort of went back
into his community after death.
942
00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:51,200
So I think
that's quite moving, really.
943
00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:03,800
Joe Mullins is a forensic artist
and professor
944
00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:06,360
at the George Mason University
in Virginia.
945
00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:09,240
As a forensic artist,
most of my work
946
00:50:09,240 --> 00:50:11,200
comes from law enforcement.
947
00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:13,800
That is, these are
active investigations
948
00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:15,960
of unidentified skeletal remains.
949
00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:21,560
Across three decades,
Joe has worked with law enforcement,
950
00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:23,880
reconstructing faces from skulls,
951
00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:27,200
which helps to identify
victims of crime.
952
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,160
Over the course of my 24 years,
953
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:32,960
there's been hundreds
and hundreds of skulls
954
00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:34,840
that I've helped
law enforcement with.
955
00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:38,400
But today, Joe is helping
in a world first -
956
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:42,440
reconstructing the face
of a victim of crucifixion.
957
00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:45,560
I think I've got the coolest job
in the world, and this is by far
958
00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:49,560
the most interesting skull that
I've ever worked on in my career.
959
00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:53,280
For forensic identification,
I want to get crime scene photos,
960
00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:55,080
clothing was found with the victim,
961
00:50:55,080 --> 00:50:57,880
as much information I can get
to paint that picture
962
00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:59,880
of what this individual
looked like in life.
963
00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:02,720
That same process applies
to historical cases.
964
00:51:02,720 --> 00:51:05,880
I want to get as much information
as I can on the front end.
965
00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:08,640
If there's DNA isotopes, phenotypes
to give me information
966
00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:11,400
on hair colour, eye colour,
skin tone.
967
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:14,080
Joe was given information
from Corinne,
968
00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:16,960
isotopic details from Jane Evans
969
00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:20,200
and insights from Christiana Scheib,
whose DNA sampling
970
00:51:20,200 --> 00:51:24,800
determined 4926 most likely
had brown hair and brown eyes.
971
00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:27,680
As far as the information that I got
for this particular case,
972
00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:31,920
it really is fascinating to me
because I was basically able to get
973
00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:34,800
just as much or more information
for this case
974
00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:36,920
that's thousands of years old,
975
00:51:36,920 --> 00:51:40,520
than I would for an active case that
I'm working for law enforcement.
976
00:51:40,520 --> 00:51:42,800
Now, the problem was this skull
was, it was fragmented.
977
00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:44,360
There's no other way to explain it.
978
00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:47,880
It is putting together
a couple-thousand-year-old puzzle.
979
00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:51,280
Your skull is the foundation
that your face is built on.
980
00:51:51,280 --> 00:51:54,760
Doesn't matter how old
the skull is, all that information
981
00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:56,720
is going to be laid out
in front of us.
982
00:51:56,720 --> 00:52:00,120
When the pieces are all together,
here's what we come up with.
983
00:52:00,120 --> 00:52:03,240
So I have the foundation
to start building the face.
984
00:52:03,240 --> 00:52:07,200
Now we've gone from our 3D software
into really applying
985
00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:10,200
the photographic elements
to the face.
986
00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:13,240
Based on all that information
we got -
987
00:52:13,240 --> 00:52:17,640
mid 30s, brown hair, brown eyes,
not exactly a healthy individual.
988
00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:21,280
Now we have indication for where his
lips are, the corners of the mouth,
989
00:52:21,280 --> 00:52:24,600
his irises, his eyebrows,
the hairline, the brow ridge,
990
00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:26,160
all those details.
991
00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:28,280
It's like a digital Mr Potato Head.
992
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,760
So as I'm clicking through
the layer, as you'll see
993
00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:34,240
some decisions that were made,
like hairstyles, you know.
994
00:52:34,240 --> 00:52:35,960
As we add some more
graphic elements,
995
00:52:35,960 --> 00:52:37,920
we're applying that,
the sunken cheeks,
996
00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:41,600
all those things that would have
naturally taken place
997
00:52:41,600 --> 00:52:43,920
under these harsh conditions.
998
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:48,960
Piece by piece, Joe is able
to give this crucifixion victim
999
00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:51,400
a kind of resurrection of his own.
1000
00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:53,600
It's not just a skull any more.
1001
00:52:53,600 --> 00:52:56,640
I'm staring at a face
from thousands of years ago.
1002
00:52:56,640 --> 00:52:59,680
And staring at this face is,
1003
00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:01,600
it's something I'll never forget.
1004
00:53:07,160 --> 00:53:10,600
More than five years
since the dig at Fenstanton,
1005
00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:13,160
Corinne and David
are in Northamptonshire,
1006
00:53:13,160 --> 00:53:18,480
ready to tell 4926's story to
a roomful of fellow archaeologists.
1007
00:53:18,480 --> 00:53:23,360
But before they do, there's a final
piece to add to their presentation -
1008
00:53:23,360 --> 00:53:25,400
Joe's reconstruction,
1009
00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:28,560
which they're about to see
for the first time.
1010
00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:31,120
Isn't this wonderful,
seeing it develop?
1011
00:53:31,120 --> 00:53:32,560
SHE GASPS
1012
00:53:32,560 --> 00:53:34,760
That's never what
I would have guessed.
1013
00:53:34,760 --> 00:53:36,960
THEY BOTH LAUGH
1014
00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:39,040
That's really impressive.
1015
00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:41,400
It is such a brilliant
reconstruction, isn't it?
1016
00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:44,080
It's just so living.
1017
00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:46,360
Those details are wonderful.
1018
00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:49,000
It really marks him out
as an individual,
1019
00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:52,600
not just skeleton 4926
as he's been up until now.
1020
00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:55,920
Yeah. He just looks like someone
that I used to work with
1021
00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:57,960
in the health service years ago.
1022
00:53:57,960 --> 00:53:59,680
Ancient people and modern people,
1023
00:53:59,680 --> 00:54:02,680
there's no taking us apart,
is there?
1024
00:54:02,680 --> 00:54:03,960
No, exactly.
1025
00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:06,280
This looks like someone
you could meet
1026
00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:08,520
on the streets of Fenstanton today.
1027
00:54:08,520 --> 00:54:13,320
This man had such
a particularly awful
1028
00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:18,000
end of life, that it feels
as though seeing his face,
1029
00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:19,840
we can give more respect to him.
1030
00:54:19,840 --> 00:54:23,200
It's fantastic that we've been able
to use the DNA evidence
1031
00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:26,040
and the osteological analysis
that you've done, Corinne,
1032
00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:27,720
and build this picture together.
1033
00:54:27,720 --> 00:54:31,720
We can bring him back to life,
almost, nearly 2,000 years on.
1034
00:54:31,720 --> 00:54:35,320
It's always a real joy to work
with other osteoarchaeologists,
1035
00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:36,800
just to start with.
1036
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:41,520
But I love it when we can have
multidisciplinary feedback
1037
00:54:41,520 --> 00:54:43,280
to and fro.
1038
00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,760
So it's been a wonderful opportunity
to put a lot more time in
1039
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:49,480
and talk to people
all over the place.
1040
00:54:49,480 --> 00:54:53,440
So it's just been tremendously
enriching for me.
1041
00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:55,800
Whenever you see archaeology
portrayed on the screen,
1042
00:54:55,800 --> 00:54:58,640
it's always exciting,
world-shattering events.
1043
00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:00,720
Most of what we do is very prosaic,
1044
00:55:00,720 --> 00:55:03,040
and this is just something
that you don't find.
1045
00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:05,520
It's the sort of find of a lifetime.142851
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