THE man who discovered a 'priceless' Roman sarcophagus has spoken out about his anger after the artefact was irreparably damaged.

Archaeologist Christopher Sparey-Green discovered the 1,600-year-old coffin in 1969 after organising the excavation of the Roman Poundbury cemetery to save artefacts from developers.

It had recently been placed in the open air at Brownsword Hall in Poundbury with the help of the Duchy of Cornwall, but it was vandalised last weekend, with its lid removed and damaged beyond repair according to Dorset Police.

PCSO Matt Barton said that, due to the age of the artefact, though nothing was inside it, the item was considered priceless and irreplaceable. 

Mr Sparey-Green said: “I never thought I would be seeing the coffin in this state after all these years.”

He added: “I am rather angry and disappointed. It is disappointing that it was left vulnerable to this destruction.”

Mr Sparey-Green discovered what had happened when he was told by a resident that a sarcophagus had been vandalised.

He said: “I did not think that it was the coffin I had found, but there was a noticeboard at Brownsword Hall with an information sheet about the coffin and I realised it was the coffin we excavated.”

Of the 1,400 burials which were excavated from the Poundbury cemetery at Grove Trading Estate in the sixties and seventies, the sarcophagus had been one of the best preserved. 

The lead excavator said he thought the damaged lid might be repairable if all the parts of the lid are still available.

However, he added: “It is only my opinion. A specialist has been consulted by the Duchy of Cornwall on this matter.

“They are taking it very seriously and are disturbed this has happened.”

Steve Wallis, senior archaeologist at Dorset County Council, similarly understood that the Duchy of Cornwall was seeking advice on the possible repair of the damaged section of the artefact.

When the sarcophagus was first found on August 5, 1969, excavators found an adult body inside with traces of purple colouring in the plaster, suggesting remains of a purple robe wrapped around the corpse.

There were also gold fibres found at the feet of the body, thought to be left over from the edge of the robe.

Mr Sparey-Green said: “It would have been someone of very high status in the town and possibly an office-holder in the town.”

After its discovery, Mr Sparey-Green said, the coffin was lifted by the SSE electricity board and placed in the entrance of their Chickerell offices. 

When the office closed, it was put into storage for many years and then offered to the Duchy of Cornwall, which assisted in finding a suitable location for it at Brownsword Hall this year.

It remained on display there for six to eight weeks and was due to be relocated to a more permanent home later in the month when the new Damers School opens in Poundbury.