Grave error in Roman remains

What a wonderful find in the Greek city of Thessaloniki with archaeologists uncovering a 70m section of ancient Roman road built nearly 2000 years ago.

Okay, pieces of Roman roads have been unearthed in many other places over many years but what made this one a bit special for me was the inscriptions on the paving slabs.

Several of the large marble stones were etched with children's board games and that gives us a little insight into what life was like way back then.

To me it conjured up a mental pictures of young boys and girls playing what was then sophisticated games on the pavements 1800 years ago with no knowledge that one, far distant day, their games board would become part of world history.

Underneath the Roman road was the remains of yet another road, even older.

This, archaeologists have decided, was built 500 years earlier than the Roman road, by the ancient Greeks.

The discoveries were made during excavations for the port city's new subway system that started in 2006 and four years ago revealed ancient burial grounds containing more than 1000 graves.

Personally the uncovering of delights such as children's board games etched into paving is fine by me, the disturbing of graves is not such a pleasant thought.

Even though progress must be made - and I suppose graves sometimes fall victim to progress - it somehow makes a mockery of the epitaph "Rest in Peace".

Watching the excellent British television documentary Time Team brings similar thoughts to bear.

Front man Tony Robinson, who unfortunately to my mind will always be Baldrick from Blackadder, brings what could be a very dry programme to life, helped by a team of somewhat eccentric archaeologists who become wildly excited over finding scraps of ancient pottery.

The Time Team often turns up other interesting items but I again do not take the same interest in their uncovering of bones in graveyards.

Maybe it's just the way I am but once we pass from this mortal coil I would like to think we can truly Rest in Peace and not to have our remains pored over by others who come along centuries later.