The Lexden Lady Exhibition and Roman Circus Visitor Centre

The Lexden Lady: From Burial to Biography. An amazing story of a stunning Roman burial, hosted at the Roman Circus Visitor Centre. A remarkable late Roman burial is on public display at an exhibition in the Roman Circus Visitor Centre. The temporary exhibition, which will run until May 2027, focuses on a high-status woman who was buried in a beautifully decorated lead coffin. This individual was buried with multiple high-status objects, including jet hairpins and a group of rare glass flasks, indicating a carefully staged and richly furnished burial. Scientific analysis has revealed valuable imported substances within the coffin and in several of the glass flasks recovered, such as gypsum, mastic and balsamic resins, offering further insights into the funerary practices in late Roman Colchester. This special exhibition displays the remains of an ancient person. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. For more information about the burial and exhibition, visit the exhibition page on the Colchester Archaeological Trust website (www.catuk.org). Photo credit: Steve Brading Photography