First ever ancient Roman complex discovered in Britain, broken into
At some point overnight between April 14 and 15, the newly discovered site was broken into, the Gazette & Herald reported on Friday morning.
A 1st century AD Terracotta Roman lamp from Turkey,
depicting two women engaged in oral sex, generally regarded as taboo by
the Romans.
(photo credit: HANDOUT/BRITISH MUSEUM VIA THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION)
The historic site at Eastfield was opened just a few days ago for
excavation, and has already captured curiosity for containing the
remains of a large room with smaller rooms branching off of it, dating
back to the Roman period.
However,
at some point overnight between April 14 and 15, the site was broken
into, the Gazette & Herald reported on Friday morning.
"These archaeological remains are fantastic," Keith Emerick, an inspector of ancient monuments, said, according to the Daily Mail. "They are already giving us a better knowledge and understanding of Roman Britain."
Experts noted that this could be the first time this type of building site has been found in Britain. "Sadly,
heritage crime can cause huge damage to assets of great historical
interest," a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson told Gazette &
Herald.
The fencing, as well
as the land of the excavation itself, were sustained damages, the
report noted, though nothing has yet been reported stolen.
"Indeed,
the cost to communities of heritage crime is often immeasurable,
resulting in the loss of artifacts to future generations," added the
spokesperson.
The excavations also revealed a large bathhouse. These findings imply
that the owners, or at least the residents, of this complex, were
wealthy.
Experts believe this could have been a fancy villa, or a sanctuary – it might have been both. The
reason, Historic England noted, that this is a significant finding is
because this sort of building layout has never been found in England
before.
After Historic
England originally suggested the significance of these findings,
Keepmoat Homes, a British building company, began the excavation.
Under
Keepmoat's supervision, the area would become an open space, with no
houses allowed to be built on it, local news site The Scarborough News
reported on Wednesday.
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