A press release published in July detailed the discovery of a Roman villa in the British countryside containing a “mysterious” feature.
The extensive second-century A.D. villa is roughly 70 meters (230 feet) long, and is the second such property uncovered in the East Midlands region in the last three years, according to the press release from the University of Leicester. The home was uncovered by student archaeologists and their teachers at the school, who told Newsweek of a “rather mysterious” stone-lined feature at the two-story property.
“When first uncovered, we suspected that it was a Roman well, but excavation showed that it was a relatively shallow stone and brick-lined rectangular feature. The students excavated it and no finds were recovered from it, so its function is a bit of a mystery,” said the university’s Roman archaeology lecturer Philippa Walton.
News | Archaeology students from University of Leicester unearth very big Roman house in the country
➡️ https://t.co/xxC8inX65D#CitizensOfChange | @ULASarchaeology @ArchAncHistLeic pic.twitter.com/xcF6kBEbFq
— University of Leicester (@uniofleicester) July 10, 2024
Along with the wall, students found brightly painted plaster and mosaic tiles, suggesting the home was designed in the Roman style. Animal bones hinted at agricultural practices at the site. (RELATED: Amateur Archaeologists Uncover ‘Toilet Spoon’ In Wales)
Geophysical surveys of the site were conducted alongside the crew from “Time Team,” a popular British reality show exploring archaeological work. Along with the villa, these data revealed a series of ditches surrounding the property. Some of these may have been used as boundary lines, whereas others may date back to an earlier prehistoric settlement.
We’ll just have to keep digging to find out more!
