The German Second World War soldiers were imprisoned close to the Park Hall military camp, near Oswestry. Excavations have been taking place at Mile End where work is continuing on the multi-million pound revamp of the A5/A483 junction to the south of the town.
Experts from Wessex Archaeology, who carried out the excavations, said the evidence they have found suggests that the camp was in use between 1940 and 1948 and believe it will give them an insight into what life was like as a prisoner of war in Shropshire.
Among the finds were a loaded German pistol and a spent .303 cartridge as well as signs of comfort including beer bottles from the now-defunct Border Breweries in Wrexham.
A map showing the layout of the camp at Mile End
A spent .303 cartridge was found at Mile End.
John Winfer, project manager at Wessex Archaeology, said: “What we have revealed is surprising evidence of some (relatively speaking) comfortable conditions for the inmates.
“We know from our documentary research that the Red Cross, which visited many POW camps across Europe during the Second World War, came to assess conditions at the Mile End camp.
“The visit report highlights the range of facilities and activities on offer to the prisoners, which is supported by the archaeological evidence we uncovered.”
Glass bottles once containing hygiene and cleaning products.
Toothbrushes and other personal items were found at the camp.
A second roundabout has been built at Mile End in the latest multi-million-pound change to the layout
He said the prisoners benefited from sports pitches, musical performances, electricity to power lights and heating, enough toilets available for everyone at the camp, and several hot and cold showers and washbasins.
Many of the prisoners would have been employed in carpentry workshops, with younger inmates given time off to study at the camp’s school, he said,
“Those overseeing the camp enjoyed more spacious accommodation, and our work uncovered military issue ceramic tableware accompanied by beer glasses. This all paints a civilised and rather unexpected picture of a POW camp,” Mr Winfer said.
A toy camel was also found.
Wings from a German uniform.
Artefacts giving more personal insights to those living at the camp include a lead alloy toy camel and toiletries including toothbrushes.
But it is an aluminium metal identification tag from a German soldier that has excited archaeologists the most.
Mr Winfer said: “This is an intriguing find with so much potential. In the event of death during the war, the tag would have been snapped, with one half-buried with the body for later identification and the other given to unit administrators for recording.
A loaded German pistol.
Beer bottles were found at the camp.
“In this case, it tells us that the German POW in question belonged to the 3rd Company, Landesschützen Battalion XI/I marking the capture of this prisoner early in the war, September 1939 to 1940.
“We know his serial number too, so we’ll be doing further research to reveal the full story.”
Storage jar or long-abandoned lavatory? That, for some reason, is the question archaeologists from the University of Cambridge, UK, and the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, sought to answer while studying an ancient Sicilian villa site.
Now, according to a new paper published last week in the Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, they’ve solved this smelly mystery.
As it turns out, a conical jar found at the site – found widely across the Roman empire and long thought to have stored unidentified objects or resources – was actually an ancient Roman toilet.
A chamber pot from the 5th century CE from the Roman villa at Gerace, Sicily (Italy). Scale: 10 cm.
“Conical pots of this type have been recognised quite widely in the Roman Empire and in the absence of other evidence they have often been called storage jars,” says Roger Wilson, a professor in UBC’s Department of Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, who directs the archaeological project in Sicily.
But Wilson says these pots were often found suspiciously close to public latrines, leading archaeologists to wonder exactly what treasures had been contained within.
“The discovery of many in or near public latrines had led to a suggestion that they might have been used as chamber pots, but until now proof has been lacking,” says Wilson.
To decode the pots’ long-disappeared contents, Cambridge archaeologists analysed a “crusty material” (yuck) formed on the inside surface of a pot found in the bathing complex at the site. Using microscopy, a team from the Ancient Parasite Laboratory confirmed the present of whipworm eggs – a human intestinal parasite.
“It was incredibly exciting to find the eggs of these parasitic worms 1,500 years after they’d been deposited,” says co-author Tianyi Wang, of Cambridge, who took part in the microscopy work.
Whipworms are human parasites, around five centimetres long, that live on the lining of our intestines. Their eggs would have mixed in with human faeces, and built up as residue over time with continuous use.
“We found that the parasite eggs became entrapped within the layers of minerals that formed on the pot surface, so preserving them for centuries,” says co-author Sophie Rabinow, also of the Cambridge team.
This is the first time parasite eggs have been identified from concretions inside a Roman ceramic vessel, and it confirms the Sicilian pot must have been used to contain human faeces.
A microscopic whipworm egg from the chamber pot. The black scale bar represents 20 micrometres.
Archaeologists say the 31x34cm pot could have been sat on but was more likely used in conjunction with a wickerwork or timber chair, under which the pot could be set.
The researchers say their method of parasite analysis could help unlock the stinky secrets of ceramics across the ancient Roman world.
“The findings show that parasite analysis can provide important clues for ceramic research,” says Rabinow.
Although the technique only works if the person producing the poop was infected with a common parasite, the researchers note that where parasites are endemic in the developing world, around half of all people are infected by at least one type. If Romans were as often infected, it’s likely many if not most chamber pots will be identifiable.
“Where Roman pots in museums are noted to have these mineralised concretions inside the base, they can now be sampled using our technique to see if they were also used as chamber pots,” says Piers Mitchell, a parasite expert and leader of the laboratory study.
2,000-year-old statues unearthed in Turkey’s western Uşak province
Two statues believed to be dating back to 2,000 years were unearthed during excavation works in the ancient Roman city of Blaundus in western Turkey.
Archaeologists unearth 2,000-year-old statues in western Turkey.
Blaundus, also known as Blaundos, was first built by Macedonians that came to Anatolia, present-day Turkey, following the military campaign of Alexander the Great.
The ruins of the ancient city, located in what is now the Ulubey district of Uşak province, was later occupied by the Romans.
Digging work to unearth the city, which started in 2018, is currently focused on the area where a temple dedicated to the Greek mythological goddess Demeter is located.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Birol Can, a faculty member of the Archeology Department of Uşak University, said the team has found two statues in the courtyard of the temple located in the centre of the city.
Archaeologists unearth 2,000-year-old statues in western Turkey.
Can, who is leading the excavation, said one of the discovered statues was 185 centimetres (6 feet) tall with no head, while the other was missing its head, right arm and both legs.
“We don’t know yet whether the statues are from the temple site or from street-side honorifics,” he said, adding that further research on the discovery was ongoing.
“Both finds are male marble statues. We have not yet determined who they are – whether they are gods, emperors, or statesmen,” Can said.
Noting that the statues may have been inspired and created in the Roman-era style, he said: “We can say that the art of sculpture has been at its peak since the second half of the fourth century B.C.”
British Museum unveils treasures at the centre of recent World of Stonehenge exhibition
The world’s oldest surviving map of the sky and a ‘talismanic’ chalk drum have gone on display as part of a major new exhibition. The 3,600-year-old Nebra Sky Disc and the 5,000-year-old Burton Agnes chalk drum are just two of 430 objects and artefacts that are visible to the public from Thursday at the British Museum in London. They are part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition, which runs until July and tells the story of the famous Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire.
Stunning photos taken today show the 12-inch sky disc in all its glory. It is inlaid with gold symbols that are believed to represent the moon, sun, solstices and stars, and was unearthed by looters in Germany in 1999.
The chalk drum, which bears intricate circular etchings, was found alongside the ancient burial of three children near the village of Burton Agnes in East Yorkshire. Other artefacts on display include two gold hats and an ancient wooden monument called ‘Seahenge’ which dates back 4,000 years.
The world’s oldest surviving map of the sky and a ‘talismanic’ chalk drum have gone on display as part of a major new exhibition. Pictured: The 3,600-year-old Nebra Sky Disc, which is now available to view at the British Museum
The 5,000-year-old Burton Agnes chalk drum is one of 430 objects and artefacts that are visible to the public from Thursday at the British Museum in London. They are part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition, which runs until July and tells the story of the famous Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire
Seahenge was nicknamed the Stonehenge of the Sea after it re-emerged on a Norfolk beach in 1998. It consists of a large upturned tree stump surrounded by 54 wooden posts
The World of Stonehenge exhibition tells the story of the 3,500-year-old Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire (pictured above)
According to the British Museum, nearly two-thirds of the objects going on display in the exhibition will be loans, with artefacts coming from 35 lenders across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. The majority of the items have never been seen in the UK before. The Nebra Sky Disc was found near the town of Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt, in the east of Germany, by looters Mario Renner and Henry Westphal.
The pair were treasure hunting without a license and ended up destroying parts of the archaeological site, as well as damaging the disc with their spade. They sold the disc alongside bronze swords, hatchets, a chisel and bracelet fragments that they found with it to a dealer in Cologne for 31,000 Deutsche Mark (around £10,000).
The pair were arrested in the bar of the Hilton Hotel in Basel, Switzerland, after trying to sell the sky disc to the German state archaeologist for 700,000 DM (£217,391). Experts believe the sky disc was used as a calculator to help its Bronze Age owners predict the best times for sowing and harvesting in the spring and autumn. This interpretation is supported by the presence of a cluster of seven stars, the Pleiades, which appear next to a full or new moon at these times.
The Burton Agnes drum is decorated with symbols that are believed to represent the sun, is only the fourth surviving example of its kind and is the most intricately decorated.
The headgear going on display includes the Schifferstadt gold hat (front) from Germany and the Avanton gold cone (back) from France
Seahenge’s oak posts, some up to nine ft tall, form a 21ft-diameter circle around the upturned oak, creating a giant tree-like spectacle. A narrow entrance-way was built aligning to the rising midsummer sun and it is speculated the monument was used for ritual purposes
A member of staff observes a gold cape dating from 1600-1900 BC from Mold, Flintshire, Wales, during the press preview for the new The World of Stonehenge exhibition at London’s British Museum
According to the British Museum, nearly two-thirds of the objects going on display in the exhibition will be loans, with artefacts coming from 35 lenders across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Pictured: A member of staff uses a brush whilst standing behind a standing stone carved in 2500 BC from Capo di Ponte, Italy
Animal bones in the form of a necklace found on Salisbury Plain, 2,100-1,900 BC. The World of Stonehenge exhibition runs until July
It was found buried above the head of the eldest child and is believed to have been placed in the grave during the first construction phase of Stonehenge – when the monument’s bluestones were being moved from west Wales to Salisbury Plain. It contains symbols similar to those found on pottery at the dwelling site of the builders who created Stonehenge, at Bulford, and could cast light on how communities lived at the time.
The British Museum already has three barrel-shaped cylinders made of solid chalk, dubbed the Folkton drums after their discovery in North Yorkshire in 1889. Dr Neil Wilkin, the curator of The World of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said: ‘This is a truly remarkable discovery, and is the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last 100 years.
‘This drum is likely to have represented the circle of life, renewal and regeneration.
‘Children are the future, and represent the next generation, so burying them with a chalk drum as a talisman may well have been seen as a way to protect the future of the community.’
Alice Beasley, who first uncovered the drum as project archaeologist at Allen Archaeology, said: ‘Discovering the chalk drum was a thrilling and humbling experience. Seeing the love and effort put into burying the individuals over 5000 years ago was truly moving
‘The children are highly unlikely to have been child sacrifices, as have been seen in the remains of some pagan societies.
Seahenge was nicknamed the Stonehenge of the Sea after it re-emerged on a Norfolk beach in 1998. It consists of a large upturned tree stump surrounded by 54 wooden posts. The oak posts, some up to nine ft tall, form a 21ft-diameter circle around the upturned oak, creating a giant tree-like spectacle.
A narrow entranceway was built aligning to the rising midsummer sun and it is speculated the monument was used for ritual purposes. Dr Jennifer Wexler, project curator of the World Of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said: ‘If Stonehenge is one of the world’s most remarkable surviving ancient stone circles, then Seahenge is the equivalent in timber.
The looters — who were treasure hunting without a license — destroyed parts of the archaeological site and damaged the disc with their spade. Pictured: the iconography of the Nebra Sun Disc. Some of the interpretations are uncertain. According to expert analysis, the disc was constructed in four stages, which saw some of the stars move around the disc
A member of staff poses next to a gold broach from Shropshire, England which dates back to 1,000 BC. It is one of 430 objects that are now on display
Examples of tools carved by Neolithic Britons are seen on display at the British Museum on Monday, after the opening of the World of Stonehenge exhibition
A human skull showing healed blunt force trauma on the forehead. The skull is one of several examples of ancient human bones that are on display in the new exhibition
Wooden carvings dating back to 1,200 BC were found in Yorkshire. Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: ‘To understand the purpose of the great stone monument constructed on Salisbury Plain, it is essential to consider its contemporary world and the culture of its builders. We are delighted to be able to do this in this unprecedented exhibition’
‘But as it was only rediscovered in 1998, it is still relatively unknown.
‘We know about some aspects of the monument, including that it was constructed in the spring and summer of 2049 BC, from mighty oaks.
‘But there’s much that still eludes us, including exactly what it was used for.
‘Perhaps the central upturned trunk was used in funerary rituals to support a dead body. Perhaps entering the circular shrine brought worshippers closer to the otherworld.
‘By displaying Seahenge in this exhibition we hope to bring it to a wider audience, and it provides an unparalleled opportunity to time-travel back to the moment when circles of stone and timber were at the heart of people’s beliefs.’
The headgear going on display includes the Schifferstadt gold hat from Germany and the Avanton gold cone from France.
The World of Stonehenge exhibition also features examples of ancient goldwork, such as the above gold bangles on display today
A photograph taken on February 14, 2022, shows a gold necklace from, Gleninsheen, County of Clare, Republic of Ireland
It is the first time that either has been seen in Britain. They are decorated with elaborate solar motifs that reflect the religious importance of the sun during this era. The Schifferstadt hat, which was found in the German town of the same name in 1835, dates back to between 1400 and 1300 BC, whilst the Avanton cone – discovered near Avanton, Poitiers in 1844 – dates to between 1000 and 900 BC. Only two other examples of these hats are known to have survived. They served as headgear during ceremonies or rituals, and experts theorised that the original wearers may have believed that they gave them divine or otherworldly status.
Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: ‘To understand the purpose of the great stone monument constructed on Salisbury Plain, it is essential to consider its contemporary world and the culture of its builders.
‘We are delighted to be able to do this in this unprecedented exhibition.
‘Over 430 exceptional objects are being brought together, objects which are the last and only testament of sophisticated and ingenious people, and we are grateful to all of the lenders who have made it possible.’
Australian Aboriginal symbols found on mysterious 12,000-year-old pillar in Turkey—a connection that could shake up history
Göbekli Tepe in Turkey is a 12,000-year-old megalithic monument complex, the origins of which have stumped archaeologists since its discovery about 20 years ago.
It has caused archaeologists to rethink their understanding of “primitive” society at that time.
The sophistication of a society that could build such monuments—containing pillars weighing 45 to 65 tons and carved with intricate symbols and figures—far surpasses what most archaeologists thought possible for that period.
Part of the excavation site of Göbekli Tepe.
It may have been created by a society that was wiped out by a cataclysmic event.
Carvings at the site may depict a comet that caused massive global climate shifts, a cataclysmic event that wiped out the civilization responsible for Göbekli Tepe.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh published a paper to this effect last year in the journal Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry.
From about 14,500 to 11,500 years ago, a period known as the Younger Dryas, the world experienced dramatic climate shifts.
The shift at the end of the Younger Dryas was particularly abrupt, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Archaeologists have agreed that Göbekli Tepe is at least 12,000 years old, placing it within this period.
The site was rapidly buried about 1,000 years after its creation. Whether this was done intentionally by people or by nature is a matter of debate. Some have theorized that society wanted to protect the monuments from the cataclysm.
Researcher and author Bruce Fenton now presents a theory that Göbekli Tepe was built by Australian Aborigines.
An Australian Aboriginal medicine man with a symbol on his chest was also found at Göbekli Tepe.
Fenton focused his cross-cultural analysis on Göbekli Tepe and the Arnhem Land area in northern Australia. He found many shared symbols and motifs.
For example, the lead photo of this article shows a symbol on a pillar at Göbekli Tepe, and the same symbol is painted on an Australian Aboriginal elder’s chest. This symbol is held by the Aborigines to depict two people sitting to share knowledge.
Fenton has found what he says are clearly Aboriginal churinga stones, sacred objects, at Göbekli Tepe.
On another pillar, Fenton has identified a symbol usually reserved for the most sacred artefacts of the Australian Aboriginal culture, churinga stones.
He has also found what he believes are churinga stones at other 12,000-year-old sites in Turkey thought to be connected to the Göbekli Tepe culture.
They display the concentric circles characteristically used by Aboriginals to depict watering holes, and the zig-zag lines used to depict waterways.
Left: An Australian churinga stone. Right: A closeup of the central pillar in Göbekli Tepe’s Enclosure D with a similar symbol. The pillar depicts a deity, showing this symbol is similarly sacred in the cultures that created both objects.
A “churinga stone” was found at Hasankeyf, another 12,000-year-old site in Turkey left by the same vanished people.
Another “churinga stone” was found at Hasankeyf. The carving resembles a double helix.
“Many of the animal symbols on the stones relate to Aboriginal clan totems,” Fenton said via email. He has also noticed similarities between the only female figure depicted at Göbekli Tepe and the Aboriginal depictions of Yingarna, the creator.
An ancient culture used Aboriginal shamanism to try and hold back the cataclysm at Göbekli Tepe, says Fenton.
Göbekli Tepe
Fenton hypothesizes that the Göbekli Tepe carvings display a characteristically Aboriginal shamanistic attempt to stop the coming cataclysm. He said, “The purpose of the complex was to reverse the flooding underway during the Younger Dryas, by placating the Rainbow Serpent (they assumed this water deity was responsible).”
In a paper on his theory, published in New Dawn magazine, Fenton wrote: “The images at Göbekli Tepe are mostly animals; it is tempting to think that this represented a significant effort by the shamans to call forth the spirits of the animals, many of which had become extinct.”
Chalk drum from 5,000 years ago is ‘most important art find’ in a century
A 5,000-year-old chalk sculpture discovered in east Yorkshire, due to be displayed at the British Museum, has been described as the most important piece of prehistoric art to be found in Britain in the last century.
The 5,000-year-old sculpture was found in an East Yorkshire grave, along with a bone pin and a chalk ball thought to be a child’s toy.
The object, which archaeologists have named the “Burton Agnes drum”, is a chalk sculpture that had been decorated with motifs similar to the artistic style at the same time as Stonehenge was built. The drum was discovered alongside the burial of three children.
The drum is hailed to be such an important discovery due to its similarity to a group of objects already in the British Museum’s collection.
The discovery was made in 2015 at a country estate near Burton Agnes
The motifs are yet to be deciphered but are thought to have either symbolic or religious meaning
The Folkton drums, three barrel-shaped cylinders made of chalk, were found in North Yorkshire buried alongside the remains of a child, and have been part of the British Museum’s collection since 1889. They are, according to the British Museum, some of the “most famous and enigmatic ancient objects ever unearthed in Britain”.
Relatively little is known about the Folkton drums and their context but this new drum, which was found about 15 miles away, sheds new light on them.
The exact age of the Folkton drums was never known, with a consensus guess that they were made around 2500 – 2000BC.
However, due to new technology and the finding of the new drum, the Folkton drums can be identified as being nearly 500 years older than previously thought.
This new discovery, only the fourth example of its kind known to have survived, is nearly identical to the Folkton drums and can also be described as a chalk drum.
Despite the use of the term ‘drum’, they are not thought to have had a musical function. Instead, they are works of sculptural art and have been interpreted to be intended as talismans to protect the deceased children they accompanied.
The drum was found next to three children buried close together “in a moving scene”, archaeologists said
The Burton Agnes drum is due to be displayed to the public for the first time on Thursday, alongside all three Folkton drums, as part of the World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum.
Neil Wilkin, the curator of The World of Stonehenge at the British Museum, said the discovery was “truly remarkable”.
“The Folkton drums have long remained a mystery to experts for well over a century, but this new example finally begins to give us some answers. To my mind, the Burton Agnes drum is even more intricately carved and reflects connections between communities in Yorkshire, Stonehenge, Orkney and Ireland,” he said.
“The discovery of the Burton Agnes grave is highly moving. The emotions the new drum expresses are powerful and timeless, they transcend the time of Stonehenge and reflect a moment of tragedy and despair that remains undimmed after 5,000 years,” he added.
“We are honoured that the British Museum will be the first place the public will be able to see this important object and that they will see it alongside 430 other ancient items telling the spectacular story of Stonehenge and the vibrant world in which it was built.”
Mark Allen, the director of Allen Archaeology, said that it has been a “real privilege” to have been involved in its discovery, and took the opportunity to thank the “landowners for their enthusiasm and interest in the project from the outset.”
“When we heard about the find from the team on-site and saw the photos of the drum that were messaged over to us, it was clear we were looking at something extraordinary,” he said. “Although the photos did not do it justice, and we were all stunned to see it up close when it came off-site.”
Alice Beasley, who first uncovered the drum as an archaeologist for Allen Archeology, said discovering it was a “thrilling and humbling” experience. “Seeing the love and effort put into burying the individuals over 5,000 years ago was truly moving,” she said.
The World of Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum, on display until mid-July, is the UK’s first major exhibition on Stonehenge. Nearly two-thirds of the objects on display will be loaned from 35 lenders across several different countries, including Germany, Denmark and Italy.
Archaeologists Find 40 Beheaded Roman Skeletons With Skulls Between Their Legs
Archaeologists in England have unearthed 40 beheaded skeletons at an ancient Roman burial site while digging along the high-speed rail line near Fleet Marston, just 55 miles northwest of London.
An archaeologist examines a beheaded body found at an ancient Roman cemetery in England. HS2/PA
Researchers found the remains while excavating part of a newly discovered 2,000-year-old town, which also included coins, lead weights, brooches, bells and enclosures that once formed part of a road, according to Katy Prickett of BBC News.
The team uncovered the artefacts while work was progressing on the construction of HS2, a major modern railway system that will connect much of the country when completed in 2040, per the Guardian.
“The excavation is significant in both enabling a clear characterization of this Roman town but also a study of many of its inhabitants,” Robert Brown of COPA JV, a consortium of archaeological contractors working with HS2, says in a statement.
For more than a year, Cotswold Archaeology, Oxford Archaeology and Pre-Construct Archaeology (COPA) have worked to excavate the town and burial site. The cemetery, from which 425 skeletons were exhumed, is the largest of its kind in Buckinghamshire, per the Guardian.
The team of archaeologists uncovered spoons, bells, pins and brooches at the former Roman town in England.
About 10 per cent of the skeletons found were decapitated, with the skulls placed between their legs or near their feet, possibly due to their status as criminals or outcasts, say the researchers in the statement. However, they add that such burials were also a “normal, albeit marginal, burial rite” conducted in the late Roman period, dating to between 250-450 C.E.
“Decapitation was one of the four main methods of execution sanctioned by Roman law” and is believed to have been a popular choice among lawmakers across Roman Britain,” Rob Wiseman, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the discovery, told Live Science in an email. “Although what the purpose [of that ritual] remained uncertain.”
Often in these cases, scientists are unable to determine if the decapitated bodies had their heads removed before or after death, Wiseman adds, but sometimes skeletons found at similar burials show evidence of being struck from behind by a sharp blade while the person was kneeling.
Aside from the severed heads, the graves don’t appear different from other Roman gravesites. Even under Roman law, the bodies of executed criminals were typically handed over to kin, who traditionally opted for normal burials, Wiseman tells Live Science. One explanation for the placement of the severed heads at Fleet Marston burial is that the relatives of the individuals may have believed that the soul would only transition into the afterlife if the head was placed next to the rest of the body, Wiseman says. Or it could be they feared the corpse would put itself back together and return from death.
The archaeologists state that the number of burials and the development of the settlement suggests the town experienced a “population influx” around the mid-to-late Roman period, due to what may have been an increase in agricultural production. The burial site was divided into two different areas, indicating that the cemetery may have been organized by tribe, family or ethnic grouping, per the statement.
The researchers plan to study the exhumed skeletons over the next few years in hopes of learning more about the lifestyles of ancient Romans, reports Alia Shoaib for Business Insider.
An archaeologist holds a lead die discovered at the dig in England.
“All human remains uncovered will be treated with dignity, care and respect and our discoveries will be shared with the community,” says Helen Wass, head of heritage at HS2, in the statement. “HS2’s archaeology program seeks to engage with all communities both locally and nationally to share the information and knowledge gained as well as leaving a lasting archival and skills legacy.”
Experts also found 1,200 coins along with several lead weights indicating the town served as a centre for trade, reports BBC News. Additionally, the site contained domestic artefacts, such as pottery, spoons, pins and brooches, as well as gaming dice and bells, suggesting gambling and religious activity occurred at the settlement.
In addition to the artefacts, a team of 50 COPA archaeologists discovered a series of enclosures along Akeman Street, an ancient Roman road linking the town of Verulamium—now St. Albans—with the settlement of Corinium Dobunnorum—now Cirencester—per the HS2 statement. These structures were likely a mix of domestic dwellings and sites of commercial and industrial activity.
Parts of the road were widened, say the scientists, suggesting the area may have been used as a marketplace. The extra room would have provided space for carts and stalls, according to the statement.
More than 1,200 coins were discovered at the Roman settlement, indicating it was a site for trade and commerce.
Archaeologists say the town was likely an important staging post for travellers and soldiers passing on their way to and from the Roman garrison at what is now Alchester, per BBC News.
The scientists also found evidence of Iron Age enclosures, suggesting the area was used for farming before the town was established. Early in the Roman period, the region was the site of gravel quarrying, possibly used for the construction of Akeman Street, per the statement. The team also discovered a stone-built corn dryer or malting oven, which may have been used for brewing, per the statement.
Fleet Marston is one of more than 100 archaeological sites investigated by HS2 since work began in 2018 on the first phase of track between London and Birmingham, reports the Guardian.
“The HS2 archaeology program has enabled us to learn more about our rich history in Britain,” Wass tells the Guardian. “The large Roman cemetery at Fleet Marston will enable us to gain a detailed insight into the residents of Fleet Marston and the wider Roman Britain landscape.
2,500-Year-Old Helmets Worn By Ancient Greek Warriors Found Among The Ruins Of An Acropolis In Italy
Archaeologists in southern Italy have discovered ancient warrior helmets and the ruins of a painted brick wall at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, officials said Tuesday.
The temple and helmets were found at the ‘acropolis’ of Velia.
Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the remains dug up at the popular tourist site of Velia were found on what had been an acropolis of one of Magna Graecia’s most important cities.
Velia is 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Paestum, a much-visited site of ancient Greek temples.
The two helmets were found in the same location at Velia.
The recently completed excavation at Velia unearthed a pair of helmets in good condition, the remains of a building, vases with the Greek inscription for “sacred” and metal fragments of what possibly were weapons, the culture ministry said.
State Museums Director Massimo Osanna, who formerly had long directed excavations at Pompeii, Italy’s most celebrated excavated site, said the area explored at Velia probably contained relics of offerings made to Athena, the mythological Greek goddess of war and wisdom, after a key naval battle in the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea.
In the 6th-century B.C. battle of Alalia off the coast of Corsica, Greek forces were victorious over Etruscan forces and their Carthaginian allies.
Velia is famed for being the home of an ancient Greek school of philosophy, including philosophers Parmenides and Zeno.
It was part of Magna Graecia, the area of southern Italy colonized by Greek city-states.
The settlement at Velia occupied an upper part, or acropolis, of the area as well as hillsides, and was surrounded by a wall. The city’s ancient name was Elea.
Velia’s founding dates to about 540 B.C. by colonists from Asia Minor.
Franceschini said the discoveries yielded by the Velia excavation underscored the importance of investing in archaeological research to reveal “important pieces of the history of the Mediterranean.”
