Remarkable Roman artefacts that surprised archaeologists

Roman remnants

It’s no wonder we’re still stumbling upon incredible finds from Roman times – the sweeping empire spanned all the way from England to Egypt, completely dominating the Mediterranean regions of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Here, we’ve compiled some of the most interesting Roman artefacts discovered and researched since 2020, from priceless coins and rare mosaics to elaborate statues and vases.

Click through this gallery to discover the most fascinating Roman artefacts uncovered in recent times...

Antique refrigerator, Bulgaria

While excavating the Roman fortified settlement of Novae in modern-day Bulgaria, a team from the University of Warsaw found several stunning artefacts in 2023. Among them was a ceramic container identified as an ancient Roman fridge – it was placed in the ground and connected to a lead pipe, making it more sophisticated in design than previous examples discovered at the site. Fragments of drinking vessels, bowls and animal bones were found still inside the container, giving archaeologists clues as to the last meals consumed here by the Romans.

Boundary stone, Italy

For the first time in a century, a rare ‘cippus’ was discovered in June 2021 during excavations carried out as part of the development of a new sewage system in Rome. A cippus is a large limestone boundary stone that would have marked the city limits of the Roman Empire’s capital, and only 11 are known to have survived into modernity. This stone’s inscription places it in AD 49, when Emperor Claudius extended the pomerium (the sacred heart of Rome) as his legions conquered more territory.

Rare mosaic, England, UK

In Rutland – England’s tiniest county – during lockdown in 2020, Jim Irvine was taking a family walk on land owned by his father when he happened across some “unusual pottery” in a field of wheat. After contacting the local council, the excavation of Irvine’s discovery was undertaken by the University of Leicester, who announced in November 2021 that he had unwittingly unearthed something incredibly rare. The find turned out to be a Roman mosaic depicting scenes from Homer’s Iliad, forming part of a larger villa complex and described by Historic England as the first of its kind in the UK.

Sponsian coin, Romania

For years, this coin was nothing but a laughing stock. Originally found in 1713 in Transylvania (a former outpost of the Roman Empire) but declared a terrible fake by coin experts in 1863, it was locked in a museum cupboard and dismissed by history. But in 2022 new analysis of the ancient piece of gold, which bears the name and portrait of Sponsian – an emperor long written off by historians as a fictional character, suggested it was actually once valid currency and therefore that Sponsian himself was a real ruler.

Dinnerware, England, UK

In autumn 2022, a rare hoard of late Roman pewter plates, octagonal bowls and a cup was found stacked neatly in a pit and buried in the grounds of what is now Euston Estate in the English county of Suffolk. Two millennia after they were hidden, either for safe-keeping or as an offering to the gods, a local metal detectorist uncovered the items during the East of England Rally, a popular detecting event. The high-profile discovery was later temporarily displayed at the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, near Bury St Edmunds.

Various artefacts at new Gallo-Roman site, France

In 2023, archaeologists shared their preliminary findings from excavations at a newfound Gallo-Roman site in La Chapelle-des-Fougeretz, uncovered just outside the city of Rennes the previous year. Comprising the remnants of a sanctuary, a thermal building, houses and a necropolis, the new site yielded a rich trove of artefacts, including ceramic vases and preserved jewellery. Within the 4th-century sanctuary, a statue of Mars remained in situ alongside a collection of swords and spearheads, suggesting that the holy building was dedicated to the Roman god of war.

Altar stone, England, UK

Discovered in an excavated cellar in the grounds of Leicester Cathedral, archaeologists from the University of Leicester revealed in March 2023 the base of an altar stone that could unlock the secrets of this Roman site. The discovery of the altar stone in the bowels of what was once a Roman building suggests the semi-subterranean chamber could have been a shrine used for private worship, dating back 1,800 years.

Protective spikes, Germany

Monumental evidence of Romans using aggressive measures to guard their valuables was unearthed in Germany in early 2023. During a dig at a 1st-century Roman military camp in the spa town of Bad Ems, archaeologists found an intimidating trap once mentioned by Julius Caesar. Enclosing the entire encampment was a barrier of sharpened wooden stakes, designed to deter would-be thieves who might have targeted this site to loot Roman spoils from nearby silver mines. It's the first time physical evidence of these spike defences has ever been found.

Golden glass fragment, Italy

Building work on a new metro station in Rome threw up a dazzling discovery in early 2023. Declared a "very rare finding" by archaeologists, this shard of golden glass dates back to the 4th century AD and is adorned with an image of Roma, a deity personifying ancient Rome. It's the first artefact of its kind to be unearthed and is thought to have once formed the bottom of a drinking glass; its gold-leaf design would have been highly prized among Rome’s elite. The fragment is set to be displayed at a small museum in the metro station when it opens later in 2024.

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Medusa mosaic, Spain

The Spanish city of Merida – formerly Emerita Augusta under the Roman Empire – won UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1993 for its well-preserved ruins. But even a place with such established Roman links can yield new discoveries. In July 2023, fresh excavations of a domus (house) in the La Huerta de Otero Archaeological Zone revealed a beautifully intact mosaic of the head of Medusa, a Greek mythical gorgon notorious for her snake-like locks and petrifying glare. Around 323 square feet (30sqm), the mosaic also features four peacocks representing the seasons. Medusa's image was thought to bring protection in ancient Greek and Roman culture.

Silver phalera, England, UK

Medusa’s image also recently cropped up on a silver phalera (a decorative medallion worn on the breastplate of Roman soldiers during parades) unearthed at the fort of Vindolanda, near Hadrian’s Wall. The embellishment was found during 2023 excavations of the floor of military barracks at Vindolanda, which once occupied the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire. Phalerae such as this would have been awarded to soldiers who demonstrated valour in battle; very few have survived to this day as the precious metals they were made from could have been melted down and used for other, more useful purposes.

Priceless coins, Italy

Believed to have been buried by a Roman soldier more than two millennia ago, a terracotta pot containing 175 silver ‘denarii’ coins was discovered near the northwest Italian city of Livorno in 2021. Kept secret by archaeologists until the true value could be defined, news of the ancient piggy bank was made public in 2023. The most recent coins date from 82 BC – when the Roman general Sulla waged war across the Italian peninsula, overthrowing a group of nobles to declare himself dictator of the Roman Republic. It’s possible that the soldier who buried these coins went off to fight in Sulla’s war, never to return.

The Colchester vase, England, UK

It may have been discovered in a grave in the old Roman city of Colchester (Camulodunum) in 1853, but new research into this intricately decorated vase has revealed, for the first time, that Britain hosted bloody gladiator fights. In March 2023, the results of fresh investigations into the vase’s origins were shared publicly, uncovering the only known evidence of Roman arena gladiator combat taking place in the province of Britannia. The vase, inscribed with the names of two gladiators, is said to be the "ultimate sporting memorabilia" of its time.

Cornu mouthpiece, England, UK

In May 2022, the Northumbrian fort of Vindolanda yielded another exciting find, this time beneath the remains of a Roman officers’ club house. An “extremely rare” copper alloy cornu mouthpiece, dated to around AD 120, was found covered in silt and marked the first discovery of its kind at the site. A cornu was a horn-like musical instrument measuring around 11 feet (3m) in length that curled into a ‘G’ shape. Its hefty weight was often supported by a shoulder brace, making it easier for the musician. It was used in military, ceremonial and entertainment settings, and its closest modern equivalents are the French horn and the tuba.

Carved heads, England, UK

Archaeologists and volunteers excavating an ancient Roman bathhouse in Carlisle unearthed "the find of a lifetime" in 2023  – two massive ornamental heads carved out of sandstone. Thought to have once belonged to statues around 12 to 15 feet (3.5 to 4.5m) tall, the immense carvings are estimated to date back to the 2nd century AD. The bathhouse where they were found is the largest known building along Hadrian’s Wall. Tiles bearing the paw prints of ancient Roman cats and dogs, as well as a wrought-iron signet ring and carved gemstones are among the other artefacts to have been uncovered here.

Cache of bronze statues, Italy

Within the remains of an ancient religious sanctuary near the Tuscan village of San Casciano dei Bagni, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable cache of 24 Etruscan and Roman bronze statues in 2022. Called the most important find of their kind in 50 years, the bronzes show the likenesses of gods as well as small replicas of human organs which would have been offered to the sanctuary’s thermal waters by people looking to be cured from illness. Dated between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD, they were preserved in a viscous layer of mud coating the bottom of the ancient pools.

Jug inscribed with poetry, Spain

This fragment of pottery doesn't look like much, and it was considered unremarkable by archaeologists when it was found in southern Spain in 2016. But recent study of the 1,800-year-old shard of amphora (a storage jar used for olive oil) has revealed that the text etched into it isn’t an administrative label as first assumed but lines from The Georgics, written by famous epic poet Virgil. It’s thought to be the first time a literary quotation has ever been found on an ancient Roman amphora.

Coins on remote Baltic island, Sweden

How did two Roman coins reach the now-uninhabited island of Gotska Sandon in Sweden, when the Roman Empire never conquered the Baltics? That was the question on archaeologists’ lips when they uncovered the mysterious silver ‘denarii’ during a research project on the remote outcrop. Back in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, when the two coins were minted, Sweden (Svealand) was occupied by a North Germanic tribe and contact with the Romans was minimal. It’s been theorised that the coins perhaps came from a shipwreck on the Sandon coast, offering one possible explanation as to their appearance on this far-flung island.

Triton statue, England, UK

The Kentish village of Teynham falls along London Road, a modern thoroughfare that follows ancient Watling Street, which was founded by the Romans and ran through Britain like a spine. In 2023, while excavating a newly-discovered mausoleum in the village, archaeologists found a characterful Roman statue of the sea god Triton, who was a notable figure in both Roman and Greek mythology. The majestic merman was found decapitated, with an arm and his trademark conch shell horn missing, but this image shows the statue with its head reattached.

Treasure hoard, Wales, UK

In 2019 metal detectorist Jon Matthews chanced across a cache of buried Roman artefacts in a Monmouthshire pasture, but he had to wait four years for his discovery to be investigated. In 2023 local authorities formally declared the find, which harks back to the Roman emperor Claudius’s conquest of Britain in the 1st century AD, to be ‘treasure’. The hoard includes two Roman saucepans and two bucket fittings, but the most striking item is this bowl with an adorable ox-head handle – affectionately nicknamed 'Bovril' by archaeologists.

Silver coin, Germany

In 2022, an eight-year-old boy was playing in his school’s sand pit in Bremen when he remarkably found a silver Roman denarius coin. Announcing the find in August 2023, Bremen state archaeologist Uta Halle called the discovery “very special, because there have only been two comparable coin finds from the Roman Empire in the city.” Bremen was never actually part of the ancient empire, so there are a number of theories that could account for the coin’s presence here, from it being dropped by an intrepid traveller to getting washed up by the River Weser.

'Pizza' fresco, Italy

During new excavations at Pompeii in June 2023, a colourful still-life fresco from 2,000 years ago was uncovered, sending the internet into a frenzy. Depicting a familiar-looking doughy dish and a bounty of exotic fruit, some media outlets described the image as a focaccia. However, most jumped on the idea of this being an early iteration of pizza, which was originally created in Naples, just 16 miles (26km) from the volcano-consumed city. But culinary archaeologist Farrell Monaco has since explained that the food is most likely an adoreum – a traditional Roman flatbread with a raised crust, typically topped with fresh fruit.

Unopened sarcophagus, France

In autumn 2023, excavations at an ancient necropolis just outside Reims (a large, important city in Roman times) revealed something never seen before in the region – an intact, unlooted limestone sarcophagus, sealed shut with iron staples for the last 1,800 years. When archaeologists from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) looked inside, they found the remains of a woman surrounded by a hoard of funerary goods, including a mirror, four oil lamps, a comb and an amber ring.

‘Giant’ sculpture, Germany

Archaeologists examined a Roman cavalry fort in Stuttgart’s Bad Cannstatt area at the start of 2024, and, in April, shared the discovery of a mysterious sandstone figure. Worn smooth by the elements over a period of 1,800 years, the sculpture has been nicknamed 'the little giant' and depicts a Germano-Roman hybrid deity. With a human head and serpentine body, the kneeling giant is believed to have once been part of a larger column monument dedicated to Jupiter, king of the Roman gods.

Gold medallions, Denmark

This hoard of 23 gold items was originally discovered in the small Jutland town of Vindelev in 2020, but the farm where they were unearthed may not always have been such a humble property. Further analysis of four mounted Roman medallions in 2024 suggested that they were likely received either as gifts or bridal payments, since Denmark was not part of the Roman Empire. This means the owner could have been very powerful and well connected; gold medallions such as these are thought to have been given as gifts from the Imperial House to elite Roman senators and generals.

Submerged ceramics, Slovenia

The seaside spa town of Portoroz sits on a peninsula in the Adriatic which, between 178 and 177 BC, was annexed by the growing Roman Empire. Recently, a team of underwater archaeologists has been diving into this period of Slovenia’s heritage, excavating the Roman-era layers that lie beneath the waves. In 2024, they revealed their findings, which included fragments of submerged antique ceramic, such as amphorae and pieces of terra sigillata (red Roman pottery). There were also wooden stakes and ship masts dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Bone container, Netherlands

At the start of 2024, a new study published in the journal Antiquity drew a fascinating conclusion. It stated that the 2017 discovery of a hollowed-out goat or sheep bone in the Roman Netherlands contained the first definitive evidence for the intentional use of black henbane as a medicine or narcotic during Roman times. Also called stinking nightshade, black henbane is a poisonous plant possessing anaesthetic and hallucinogenic properties. The ancient bone, plugged at one end with a black birch-bark tar bung, was filled with hundreds of the plant’s seeds.

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