Colchester Museums have been working with archaeologists and specialists to ‘decode’ the hidden stories of 40 of Colchester’s earliest inhabitants.

Through new scientific research techniques, they have reconstructed the identity and lives of these people: where they came from in the empire, what illnesses they lived with, and how they were cremated at their funerals.

Decoding the Roman Dead is an exhibition that explores the results of new scientific analysis and archaeological research into Colchester Museums’ Roman cremation burials. The project, a collaboration with the University of Reading and supported by our partners, Durham University and the Colchester Archaeological Trust, has already shed new light on the lives of those who lived occupied and lived under Roman occupation almost 2000 years ago.

Recently, Dan Snow visited Colchester Museum and spoke to some of the leading archaeologists, osteologists and scientists to find out more about the ‘Decoding the Roman Dead’ archaeological project.