Shackled skeleton identified as rare evidence of slavery in Roman Britain

[Warpy]

7. Slaves are usually identified by wear patterns on their bones

not shackles on their legs. Likely this guy was a criminal, a war captive, or some other miscreant about to be sold into slavery in a truly rotten job like Roman mining, where life span was often measured in days. Unless there's an obvious COD, it's likely he threw himself into that ditch, drowning being preferable to anything else he'd be likely to face.