'Pompeii of the North' discovered in County Durham: Jewellery and ornate bath house found on the site of a Roman fort
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Buried on the site of a Roman fort in County Durham, archaeologists have made a series well-preserved and extraordinary finds.
The discoveries at Binchester Roman Fort near Bishop Auckland date back 1,800 years and include a silver ring - said to be one of the earliest pieces of evidence for Christianity in Roman Britain.
Archaeologists also discovered a bath house with seven-foot high walls, once covered with brightly-painted designs and have dubbed the region 'Pompeii of the north.'
Buried on the site of a Roman fort in County Durham, archaeologists have made a series of well-preserved and extraordinary finds. The discoveries date back 1,800 years and include one of the earliest pieces of evidence for Christianity in Roman Britain in the shape of a silver ring (pictured)
FOOD FIT FOR A POMPEIAN
Lower and middle class Romans living in Pompeii feasted on exotic meats and spicy seafood in times before the city was struck by a devastating volcanic eruption in 79AD.
Archaeologists recently disproved popular preconceptions that the rich dined on imported delicacies including flamingo, while the poor survived on gruel, by revealing that all classes of people enjoyed a rich and varied diet.
The researchers discovered sea urchin and the butchered leg of a giraffe among less exotic foods like grain and eggs, in a poorer area of the ruined city.
A drain from a central property in the district revealed a rich variety of foods as well as imports from outside Italy, such as shellfish, sea urchin and even delicacies including the butchered leg joint of a giraffe.
The bath house was also found with the original floor, doorways and window openings.
Elsewhere on the site, an inscribed altar dedicated to the Roman Goddess Fortune the Home-bringer, was unearthed.
'These findings are hugely significant as they are virtually intact and present a graphic illustration of life under the Roman Empire,' said Dr David Mason, principal archaeologist for Durham County Council.
'They are so stunning and spectacular that we can claim we have our very own "Pompeii of the North" right on our doorstep.'
A joint project to explore the site between the county council, Durham University, local enthusiasts and American university students, is now in its sixth year.
Archaeologists also discovered a bath house (pictured) with seven-foot high walls, once covered with brightly-painted designs. The experts have dubbed the finds the 'Pompeii of the north.' The bath house was found with the original floor, doorways and window openings
The discoveries were made at the site of Binchester Roman Fort near Bishop Auckland in County Durham (marked). Binchester, which stands near the River Wear, was known to the Romans as Vinovia and commanded the main road that ran from the legionary headquarters at York north to Hadrian's Wall
Symbol of Christianity? The silver ring is inset with an intaglio, a carving into a flat surface. It appears to show two fish suspended from an anchor, at the time a symbol of Christianity. Archaeologists believe the ring is from the 3rd century AD. If it is a Christian symbol, it would the oldest Christian object in Britain, where the religion was not believed to be widespread until it was declared the official religion of the Roman Empire by Constantine, a century later.
BINCHESTER: THE NORTHERN-MOST EDGE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Binchester, which stands near the River Wear in the north of England, was known to the Romans as Vinovia.
It commanded the main road that ran from the legionary headquarters at York north to Hadrian's Wall.
Historians claim it was a key element of the complex frontier system that lay both sides of the Wall which marked the northern-most edge of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.
The fort itself was built in the second half of the first century AD, when the Romans were establishing its power in the North East.
Originally, Romans used wood to build the structure, and later rebuilt it in stone when they believed it would become a permanent base.
Romans from all over the world used the fort. For instance, historians believe a cavalry unit from Spain used it in the 2nd century AD. A separate group made up of Dutch tribesmen used the fort in the 3rd century AD.
The latest find provides an unparalleled opportunity to better understand life on the northern frontier in the Roman period.
For example, the altar is a reminder that bath houses were about more than keeping clean and exercising and were actually social centres - a bit like our modern day leisure centres.
Among other things, the Roman Empire began the practice of taking a census of all the people within its boundaries every so often. The site also reveals their expertise in straight roads, central heating and concrete.
Sites such as Binchester were a proving ground for aspiring politicians and a powerbase for usurping emperors.
Last year Alex Kirton, 20, from Hertfordshire, discovered a carved sandstone head at Binchester, which was believed to be a Roman god that was worshipped locally.
Project coordinator, Dr David Petts, lecturer in archaeology at Durham University, said: 'Our excavations have uncovered parts of one of the best preserved Roman buildings in Britain.
'The building itself and the wonderful array of artefacts we have recovered from Binchester give us an unparalleled opportunity to better understand life on the northern frontier in the Roman period.
'For example, the altar is a reminder that bath houses were about more than keeping clean and exercising and were actually social centres - a bit like our modern day leisure centres.
'The most unique feature of these remains is the sheer scale of their preservation.
'It is possible to walk through a series of Roman rooms with walls all above head height; this is pretty exceptional for Roman Britain.'
The altar was inscribed by a retired trooper who served with a unit of the Spanish cavalry based at Binchester.
The trooper described his rank as 'architectus' and this is the only example, outside of Rome, which shows architects were on the staff of auxiliary cavalry units and not just the legions of the Emperor's personal protection unit, the Praetorian Guard.
Binchester, which stands near the River Wear, was known to the Romans as Vinovia and commanded the main road that ran from the legionary headquarters at York north to Hadrian's Wall.
It formed a key element of the complex frontier system that lay both sides of the Wall which marked the northern-most edge of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.
Elsewhere on the site, an inscribed altar (pictured left) dedicated to the Roman Goddess Fortune the Home-bringer (illustration pictured right), was also unearthed. The altar has been inscribed by a retired trooper who served with a unit of the Spanish cavalry based at Binchester who described his rank as 'architectus'
This image shows the bath house from above. The altar found on the site reveals that bath houses were about more than keeping clean and exercising, and were actually social centres - a bit like modern-day leisure centres
![The findings are so preserved and significant, principal archaeologist Dr David Mason said: '[They] present a graphic illustration of life under the Roman Empire. They are so stunning we can claim we have our very own](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tDwEcxGeivbxS7syBCi-xBjHUuhtwKhnAQDCRtDjm2TFrvP0mWtkiQlR1zYjmj8F63cFsWHBFx9w=s0-d)
The findings are so preserved and significant, principal archaeologist Dr David Mason said: '[They] present a graphic illustration of life under the Roman Empire. They are so stunning we can claim we have our very own "Pompeii of the north" right on our doorstep.' The archaeological site of Pompeii in Italy is pictured
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