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| Man accidentally discovers 'perfectly preserved' Roman villa in his backyard | Man accidentally discovers 'perfectly preserved' Roman villa in his backyard |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A man stumbled across a Roman villa in his back garden which is being hailed as the most significant discovery of its kind for a decade. | A man stumbled across a Roman villa in his back garden which is being hailed as the most significant discovery of its kind for a decade. |
| Luke Irwin, from Wiltshire, was laying an electricity cable in his barn when he uncovered a mosaic underground. | Luke Irwin, from Wiltshire, was laying an electricity cable in his barn when he uncovered a mosaic underground. |
| The rug designer, who was making the alterations so his children could play table tennis, took a photo and sent it off for more information. | The rug designer, who was making the alterations so his children could play table tennis, took a photo and sent it off for more information. |
| Mr Irwin said: "I sent a photograph to the council and within 24 hours they were here with archaeologists to see what we'd found.” | Mr Irwin said: "I sent a photograph to the council and within 24 hours they were here with archaeologists to see what we'd found.” |
| Experts from Historic England and Salisbury Museum carefully began excavating the site, and realised the mosaic formed part of the floor of a grand Roman building. | Experts from Historic England and Salisbury Museum carefully began excavating the site, and realised the mosaic formed part of the floor of a grand Roman building. |
| The find has been proclaimed by Historic England as “unparalleled in recent years”. | The find has been proclaimed by Historic England as “unparalleled in recent years”. |
| After an eight-day dig, archaeologists uncovered more of the ‘elaborate’ and ‘extraordinarily well-preserved’ villa, thought to be one of the largest ever found in the country. | |
| Dating from between AD 175 and 220, the grand home is thought to have been three storeys high, similar to those found at Chedworth in Gloucestershire. | Dating from between AD 175 and 220, the grand home is thought to have been three storeys high, similar to those found at Chedworth in Gloucestershire. |
| The team also discovered hundreds of discarded oyster shells which were artificially cultivated and carried live from the coast in barrels of salty water. | |
| The dig unearthed "extremely high status pottery”, brooches, coins and the bones of wild animals which had been hunted, as well as a suckling pig. | |
| All the evidence suggests a family of high importance and wealth lived at the villa, possibly a Roman emperor. | All the evidence suggests a family of high importance and wealth lived at the villa, possibly a Roman emperor. |
| Dr David Roberts, an archaeologist from Historic England who helped work on the excavation, said: "We've found a whole range of artefacts demonstrating just how luxurious a life that was led by the elite family that would have lived at the villa. | |
| "It's clearly not your run-of-the-mill domestic settlement." | "It's clearly not your run-of-the-mill domestic settlement." |
| A perfectly preserved Roman well and the stone coffin of a Roman child, which went unnoticed and was being used as a flower bed, were also among the finds. | A perfectly preserved Roman well and the stone coffin of a Roman child, which went unnoticed and was being used as a flower bed, were also among the finds. |
| Dr Roberts added: "The site has not been touched since its collapse 1,400 years ago and so it's of extreme importance. | Dr Roberts added: "The site has not been touched since its collapse 1,400 years ago and so it's of extreme importance. |
| "The large scale and complexity of the site present a unique opportunity to understand Roman and post-Roman Britain. | "The large scale and complexity of the site present a unique opportunity to understand Roman and post-Roman Britain. |
| "Without question, this is a hugely valuable site in terms of research, with incredible potential. | "Without question, this is a hugely valuable site in terms of research, with incredible potential. |
| “It's one of the best sites I have ever had the chance to work on." | “It's one of the best sites I have ever had the chance to work on." |
| The site has now been protected to preserve it. | The site has now been protected to preserve it. |
| Mr Irwin said it was “unbelievable” to have stumbled across the rare find. | Mr Irwin said it was “unbelievable” to have stumbled across the rare find. |
| He said: "The thought of the footsteps we are following in. I have always been fascinated by history ever since I went to Pompeii as a child. | He said: "The thought of the footsteps we are following in. I have always been fascinated by history ever since I went to Pompeii as a child. |
| "But to find it 20 yards from your own front door - and then the 20 billion to one shot that you design luxury rugs for the Roman aristocrats of today. It's mind blowing." | "But to find it 20 yards from your own front door - and then the 20 billion to one shot that you design luxury rugs for the Roman aristocrats of today. It's mind blowing." |
| Further research will be continued when more funding becomes available. | Further research will be continued when more funding becomes available. |