Archaeologists have found several exciting millennia-old Roman artefacts near Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland.
The findings, which are estimated as being around 1,800 years old, include an exquisite gem that depicts Silvanus, God of the countryside, and a meticulously crafted ring with an inset gem depicting a rat munching merrily on a poppy seed.
Leading Roman expert Frank Giecco, head of the historical operation, told MailOnline that the artefacts had “literally just come out of the ground.”
The find, located close to Hadrian’s wall, has proven to be an invaluable treasure chest for excavators with hundreds of Roman artefacts uncovered by Giecco and his team.
The site, close to an important Roman fort, is said to have once housed an elite cavalry unit.
Professor Martin Henig, a leading expert on Roman art at the University of Oxford, spoke to MailOnline about the Silvanus gem: “The style of cutting… is distinctive and it can be ascribed to the gem workshop based at Carlisle.
“Most of the gems from that workshop are opaque red jasper, but this is translucent golden carnelian and really glows.
“It shows Silvanus, God of the woodland and wild places, not all that common in Roman Britain but there was a temple at Bewcastle dedicated to a local version of the god, Cocidius.
“And, in fact, there is a gem of the Carlisle school found far to the east at South Shield showing Silvanus Cocidius as a huntsman. Our Silvanus also has a dog, but his main activity is as a woodcutter and pruner.
“In one hand he holds a bushy branch carved with thick strokes of the drill; in the other a sickle… The most refined cutting is displayed in his hair and hairband. I feel the gem cutter would have felt especially satisfied by this lovely and distinctive gem, which presumably dates like other gems from the workshop to the early third century AD.”
Previous finds by Mr Giecco’s team have included an astonishing array of around 70 semi-precious gemstones, discovered in the drain of a local bath house believed to have been buried for over 2,000 years.
The latest excavation, which has dug down to a depth of around 3m, is around 20m south of the site of the bathhouse.
Another interesting discovery is two mysterious platforms in a square area which could have at one time been used as for ritual activities.
Mr Giecco told the MailOnline: “It’s probably three meters by three meters. It’s a base for something. It’s enigmatic. We don’t really know what that is yet.”
On his excitement over the finds, Mr Giecco said: “The site never fails to amaze me.”
