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A skeleton dating back as far as Roman times has been discovered on the site of a housing development in Newport .

A team of archaeologists made the grim discovery, along with the remains of ancient buildings, at the site of a Redrow development in Llanwern.

The artefacts were first discovered in September 2019, and the excavation team were on site from September 17 until January 13, 2020.

Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust monitored the work on behalf of the local planning authority.

The discovery is said to include a find that is considered to be rare outside major settlements - like the ones found at Caerleon and Caerwent.

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So, what was found?

Cotswold Archaeology discovered a Roman settlement, made up of three stone buildings, thought to date back to somewhere between the second and fourth centuries AD.

It's thought that a well-made road and complex water culvert system were also on the site.

The buildings include one used thought to have been a mausoleum, one with a mosaic floor in one of the rooms, and a circular building.

This mosaic floor is considered a rare find outside of the major settlements at Caerleon and Caerwent.

Along with the buildings, human remains have also been discovered.

In the mausoleum there was one skeleton found, likely to be late Roman in date. It is thought to be late third or fourth century AD but this has not been confirmed yet. There were also four cremated bodies found - likely to be slightly earlier, probably 2nd century AD.

(Image: Cotswold Archaeology)

A spokesman for the Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust said: "In this case, following geophysical survey and trial trenching, the identification of a Roman building was made, and the complete excavation is underway.

"GGAT, RPS and Cotswold Archaeology have been working together to ensure the work follows the Welsh Government Policy for the Historic Environment and meets the standards of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.

"The discovery of the building and its associated features, including water management, greatly adds to our knowledge of the Roman settlement and land use along the Gwent Levels.”

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What will happen to the artefacts?

(Image: Cotswold Archaeology)

Redrow said the finds from the excavation will be sent to one of the local museums.

And Redrow are also planning to recover selected findings and incorporate them into a display within a school that's been proposed for the site.

Cotswold Archaeology will also be hosting a talk, once the project has finished, to local history enthusiasts.