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After floods revealed an ancient Roman site in Cumbria, archaeologists are beginning to uncover some of the many treasures buried within.

Among the finds at the Papcastle site, in Cockermouth, is a statue of a local deity, believed to have been worshipped as a 'Fertility Genius.'

The handheld carved figurine is seen holding a patera, a type of bowl, and a cornucopia, also known as a 'horn of plenty' - both seen as ancient symbols of fertility, nourishment and fortune - and it is described as being in 'amazing' condition.

The 'Fertility Genius' statue (pictured) was found on a Roman site in Papcastle, Cockermouth and is said to be in in 'amazing' condition. Experts believe the statue is the image of a local deity and is seen holding a patera and cornucopia, both seen as ancient symbols of fertility

There is also an outline of what appears to be an altar, below the hand of the deity.

Severe flooding in the Cockermouth region in 2009 revealed traces of significant Roman remains, and experts from Wardell Armstrong Archaeology began investigating shortly after.

They uncovered a Roman fort on an area measuring approximately 27,000-square-feet (2,500-square-metres), dating back 1,700 years.

Frank Giecco, regional manager at Wardell Armstrong Archaeology said: 'This [find] happens once in a lifetime.

'You can work in archaeology all your life and never find anything like that. It's incredible.'

Mr Giecco and his team also discovered two carved head statues - one male and one female.

The archaeologists have speculated the male head is wearing what appears to be a Phrygian cap, which suggests it may be Mithras - a god worshipped between the 1st and 4th centuries.

It could also be Attis, and if the male head does depict this Greek god, the female could be identified as Cybele.

Phrygia was an ancient nation in western Turkey and its gods were worshipped across Europe.

In Greece, Cybele was the goddess of nature and fertility, and in Rome she was known as Magna Mater, or Great Mother - both which tie in with the discovery of the fertility statue.

A miniature stag and a Roman oil lamp were also discovered in the flood deposits. 

The dig is being run by Wardell Armstrong Archaeology on behalf of Grampus Heritage and Training as part of the Discovering Derventio project, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It is an ongoing three-and-a-half year project expected to run until the end of 2015.

Severe flooding in Papcastle, Cockermouth (pictured) in 2009 revealed traces of significant Roman remains, and experts from Wardell Armstrong Archaeology began investigating shortly after. They uncovered a Roman fort on an area measuring approximately 27,000-square-feet (2,500-square-metre), dating back 1,700 years

The experts also discovered two carved head statues, one male and one female (pictured). The male head is wearing what appears to be a Phrygian cap, which suggests it is Mithras - a Roman god worshipped between the 1st and 4th centuries. It could also be Greek god Attis, which would make the female goddess, Cybele

'Work began at the southern extent of the investigation area, but it soon became apparent that the archaeological features identified through geophysical investigation were going to be difficult to identify on the ground' said the archaeologists on a blog post.

'This difficulty in identification is a result of extensive flood deposits, both pre-dating and post-dating the archaeological features, which limit the visual differences between the features and the surrounding natural ground.

'After several days of exposure however, several features became apparent; the most notable being several enclosure ditches.

'Forty two objects of significant interest were unearthed in the first week alone!'

A miniature stag (pictured) and a Roman oil lamp were also discovered in the flood deposits. The dig is being run by Wardell Armstrong Archaeology on behalf of Grampus Heritage and Training as part of the Discovering Derventio project, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund

Frank Giecco, regional manager at Wardell Armstrong Archaeology said: 'This [find] happens once in a lifetime. You can work in archaeology all your life and never find anything like that. It's incredible.' One of the ditches uncovered at the Papcastle site is pictured