Archeologists have found a Roman skeleton, which they believe could belong to one of the earliest victims of tuberculosis in Britain.

The skeleton, which was discovered close to an old Roman road between York and Barton-on-Humber, was buried in a shallow scoop and in a flexed position.

The first known TB case in Britain dated back to the Iron Age and Roman cases are still rare in Northern UK, BBC reported.

"This was a remarkable find and detailed study of this skeleton will provide us with important clues about the emergence of tuberculosis in late-Roman Britain, but also information about what life was like in York more than 1,500 years ago,” said archaeologist Cath Neal of York University.

The burial, dating back to the fourth century BC, is believed to be unusual for a time when bodies were buried in formal cemeteries.

"It is possible that the man was buried here because the tuberculosis infection was so rare at the time, and people were reluctant to transport the body any distance," said Neal.

Studies showed that skeleton belonged to a 26 to 35-year-old man, who was a shorter than average Roman males.

Experts believe he had suffered from iron deficiency during childhood when he contracted TB from infected meat or milk.

TE/HGH