A rare clay head of the god Mercury and an unknown Roman settlement were discovered in Britain – News

National Trust

A rare clay figurine of the god Mercury – one of fewer than 10 found in Britain – has been discovered at a previously unknown Roman settlement next to a busy port, now 10 miles from the sea.

The settlement, located in the modern village of Smallhight (or Little Hight) in Kent, is now surrounded by fields, but was once an important link in the Roman Empire’s import and infrastructure network in southern England and the English Channel, writes Arkeonews.

Smallheath was one of the most important settlements in medieval England. From 1947 he took care of it National Trust.

While excavating the National Trust site, archaeologists came across earlier evidence of a Roman settlement that may have lived there between the 1st and 3rd centuries.

According to archaeologist Natalie Cohen, the settlement was “small in scale and quite modest.”

“It was a small settlement near the port. Nevertheless, it was important in the logistical chain for the export of timber and iron from south-east England and the import of materials from the Continent“, she noted.

Another important find from this area is a tile bearing the seal of the Roman navy in Great Britain – Classis Britannica.

Among the finds is a clay head of a figure of the god Mercury, made of faience – clay ceramics similar to porcelain. Examples of faience figurines are extremely rare. Roman figurines made of this material were mainly used for private religious practices, they were placed in children’s graves, archaeologists note.

The 5-centimeter-tall head of Mercury was found without a body. According to archaeologists, the complete statuette would probably depict Mercury standing, either in a short cloak or naked, holding a staff with two entwined snakes.

Mercury was considered the god of the fine arts, as well as commerce and financial success. And religion was an important part of everyday life in most Roman provinces. Statues and portable statuettes of the gods, such as the one discovered at Smallheath, were worshiped by both the Roman elite and ordinary citizens.

“Interestingly, the statue of Mercury appears to have been deliberately broken, possibly indicating a ritual significance. There is evidence that the deliberate decapitation of some figurines was an important ritual practice, while whole figurines were commonly found in graves” said Matthew Fittock, an expert on ceramic figurines.

The head of Mercury, along with other finds from the dig, will be on display at an exhibition starting February 28 in Small Heights.