An 1,800-year-old Roman sculpture was discovered in Britain

A Roman marble statue of a female head, which is about 1,800 years old, has been unearthed in Great Britain.

It was discovered during the construction of the Burghley House car park near Stamford in Lincolnshire in Great Britain, informs Arkeonews.

While working in the crowded parking lot, mechanical excavator operator Greg Crowley noticed a pale object in the shape of a head in the excavated earth. Experts dated the find to the 1st or 2nd century.

“I experienced a real shock when the bucket of the excavator overturned on what seemed to me just a big stone. When I picked it up, I realized it was the head of a sculpture. I couldn’t believe it when I was told it was a Roman marble statue. It’s an amazing feeling to find something so old and special – definitely the best discovery of my life.”– is shared Greg Crowley.

Just a few weeks later, a marble bust of this sculpture was found near the same place.

Both items were immediately handed over to a curator at Burghley House before being sent to a professional restorer who was able to thoroughly clean and strengthen the figure. The British Museum was also informed about the find.

There was an iron pin in the marble head, which was probably put in XVIII century Thanks to this, it was possible to attach it to the pedestal, it was found out during the inspection of the sculpture.

In those days, Italian antiquaries often made similar adaptations to make excavated ancient relics more attractive to itinerant aristocrats who embarked on educational tours after graduation. it is said at Burghley.

The ninth earl is believed to have acquired many antiques during one such trip to Italy in the 1760s and brought this sculpture to Burghley House.

However, it remains a complete mystery to researchers how the head and chest ended up buried in the park. The options range from an unsuccessful theft to the fact that someone simply threw the sculpture away.

When Burghley House reopens for the 2024 season on 16 March, this find will be displayed alongside other sculptures acquired by the ninth Earl.

We will remind, recently in Britain discovered a rare clay head of the god Mercury and an unknown Roman settlement.

Anna Stopenko, UP. Life