International: Discovering... LONDON: Archaeologists have discovered an 1,800-year-old carved stone head believed to be that of Geordie Roman god, buried in an ancient rubbish dump. The discovery was made at Binchester Roman Fort, near Bishop Auckland, in Durham County. Nineteenyear-old archaeology student from Durham University Alex Kirton found the artifact, which measures about 20cm by 10cm, in buried late Roman rubbish within what was a bath house. The sandstone head, which dates from the 2nd or 3rd century AD, has been likened to the Celtic deity Antenociticus, thought to have been worshipped as a source of inspiration and intercession in military affairs. A similar sandstone head, complete with an inscription identifying it as Antenociticus, was found at Benwell, in Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1862. "We found the head close to where a small Roman altar was found two years ago. We think it may have been associated with a small shrine in the bath house," an archaelogist said.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 05:03:32 +0000
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