Archaeologists find 8,000-year-old human remains hidden beneath English fields

Ancient remains dating back some 8,000 years have been discovered in a field in England during preparation to build a massive new link road.

The find, near Newark in Nottinghamshire, has been discovered during early groundwork before construction begins on the next stage of the A49 Newark Bypass.

A total of seven skeletons were discovered in the archaeological dig, alongside a Roman Empire well and two houses likely dated back to the Anglo-Saxon era.

Sharing their finds this week, some 30 archaeologists excavated five fields in Newark in 2025, covering more than 23 acres over 22 weeks with the finds dating back to 6,000 BC.

The burial site containing human remains were provisionally date to the Iron Age, Roman or Anglo-Saxon periods, with ongoing scientific post-excavation analysis of these items expected to more precisely determine their the exact era they come from.

Naziya Sheikh, National Highways project manager for the A46 Newark scheme, said: “The experts have done an amazing job to uncover these important pieces of history that have unknowingly remained buried under Newark until now."

Several pieces of well-preserved Roman pottery were also discovered (National Highways/AMS)

She added: "We’re excited to finally be able to share the details with residents in the town and beyond as part of our early pre-construction work on the A46 scheme.

“We take great care to record and safeguard the country’s heritage that can be uncovered by our projects.

"Archaeology belongs to the communities we serve, and by working alongside a team of archaeologists, we are delighted to be able to conserve and protect these incredible finds for future generations."

A prehistoric flint arrowhead was among several discovered during the dig (National Highways/AMS)

What else was found?

The discoveries didn't stop there. As well as the above, some 163 pieces of ceramic pottery were dug up, with many of them glazed and presenting very clear decorations dating from Roman and Iron Age periods.

As well as this several prehistoric finds including flint arrowheads and equipment used to grind flour to make bread in the Neolithic period were located. Items from the English Civil War in 1642 were also uncovered.

Sean Tiffin from Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS), which carried out the dig on behalf of National Highways, said: "Our excavations uncovered fascinating insights into life in this corner of Nottinghamshire during the prehistoric, Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods, and even up to the present day.

"The results will greatly help increase our understanding of the rich history of the area, shedding light and new insights on previously unknown settlements."

The entire A46 Newark Bypass find can be found in detail on the National Highways website here.