A "beautifully carved" ancient Roman stone coffin weighing more than 1,600 pounds has been unearthed during road upgrade works in the United Kingdom.

The coffin was found along a section of the A47 road between the village of Wansford and the town of Sutton in the East of England, National Highways -- a U.K.-government-owned body responsible for operating, maintaining and improving major roads in the country -- announced in a press release earlier this week.

Workers are in the process of upgrading the section of highway from one to two lanes, and these efforts are being accompanied by archaeological investigations.

"While our main focus has been on building a road to improve journeys for road users, it's been extremely satisfying to play a part in uncovering such an unusual archaeological find," Chris Griffin, program leader for National Highways in the region, said in a press release.

A Roman road once ran along part of this stretch of the A47. In one area, archaeologists found a small roadside cemetery from the era. It was here where the hand-carved stone coffin, thought to be more than 1,500 years old, was uncovered.

The Roman Empire conquered most of Britain in the first century, with the occupation lasting until the fifth century.

The stone coffin contains a "gypsum burial" -- a funerary practice where the deceased was encased in gypsum plaster, or a similar material, to form a protective "cocoon" around the body. The coffin itself is not particularly a rare find from Roman Britain. But gypsum burials are rare in rural locations such as this.

"They are more common in urban centers, which is why this find is so unique," Jessica Lowther, community archaeologist at Headland Archaeology, told Newsweek.

Despite the lack of grave goods, the "beautifully carved" stone coffin and the gypsum burial are indicative of an individual of high status.

The gypsum -- a type of mineral -- used for the burial would have come at a high cost, and the stone coffin was not only beautifully carved, but also made from stone quarried more than 30 miles away, adding to the costs of transportation.

"These factors coupled with the central position of the burial within the cemetery points to an important person, perhaps the head of a prominent family," Lowther said.

After the discovery of the coffin, a team of archaeologists from Headland Archaeology safely removed the artifact. It was bulk lifted from the field and transported to Headland Archaeology's offices in the village of Silsoe to be excavated away from the harsh elements onsite.

"At National Highways we take great care in recording and safeguarding the country's heritage that is uncovered by our works. Archaeology belongs to the communities we serve and by working alongside Headland Archaeology we are delighted to be able to conserve and protect this incredible find for future generations," Griffin said in the press release.

Researchers are hoping to uncover further insights into the coffin -- such as determining a more precise age -- when the post-excavation analysis is undertaken.

"The coffin is a fascinating discovery which is quite unique to this region. Its careful excavation and recording, both in the field and the laboratory, allows us to continue to learn how our Roman ancestors lived and died," David Harrison, project manager with Headland Archaeology, said in the press release.