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Ivory Bangle Lady

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The skeletal remains of a Roman woman known as the Ivory Bangle Lady have helped archaeologists discover that wealthy people from across the Empire were living in fourth century York.

Their research on one of the Yorkshire Museum’s best-preserved burial finds paints a picture of a cosmopolitan city, a theme explored in our new Roman York gallery, opening in August 2010.

The high-status, mixed-race woman will be one of six characters from Roman York whose stories will be told in the exhibition, using real evidence found by archaeologists.

She was found buried in 1901 near to Sycamore Terrace, a street lying mid-way between Bootham, the main road going north out of York, and the River Ouse.

Her remains, dated to the second half of the fourth century, were found with jet and elephant ivory bracelets, earrings, pendants, beads, a blue glass jug and a glass mirror.

The most famous object from the burial is a rectangular openwork mount of bone, possibly from an unrecorded wooden casket, which reads “Hail, sister, may you live in God” indicating she may have had Christian beliefs.

The research by the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology analysed her facial features, the chemical signature of the food and drink she consumed and the evidence from the burial site. It all pointed to a high status incomer to Roman York, likely to have been of North African descent.

The skeleton and the grave goods will be on display in Roman York: Meet the People of the Empire from 1 August. To find out more about the museum’s redevelopment, click here.

Click here to read our press release about the research.