An extraordinary discovery in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, has stunned archaeologists and scientists worldwide: a 1,700-year-old egg, is the only intact specimen from Roman Britain, and now considered the only one of its type globally, as its contents are still preserved. This remarkable find was made during an archaeological dig between 2007 and 2016, ahead of a housing development project.
Initially celebrated as a “genuinely unique discovery” for being intact, the egg’s significance has just soared as recent micro-CT scans revealed it still contained liquid yolk and egg white, an outcome that left researchers “absolutely blown away.” Such preservation defied expectations, as it was anticipated that the egg’s contents would have leeched out over the centuries.
The egg was discovered alongside other eggs, which unfortunately broke during the excavation, releasing a “potent stench.” This discovery was part of a range of findings from the site that were publicized in 2019, showcasing the extensive and varied nature of the archaeological site.
The Egg Was Discovered in a Roman Town
The find was made by Oxford Archaeology which has been working on the Berryfields housing and community development site near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire for nine years. Here they found “a middle Iron Age settlement and the agricultural hinterland of the putative nucleated Roman settlement of Fleet Marston” according to Oxford Archaeology. This was situated on a major thoroughfare and was once an important trading, administrative, and agricultural center.
Over the years the archaeologists have uncovered many remarkable artifacts, dating from between the 1st century AD and the 4th century AD when the site was abandoned. Among the items found were coins, potteryand metal items. The Daily Mail reports that they all throw light on “Roman Fleet Marston which had previously only been understood from incidental finds”.
Archaeologists were working in the area, which is very waterloggedwhen they came across an unusual number of deposits in a pit. These were largely items that were organic in nature and they would typically have disintegrated over time. Among the items that were recovered were leather shoes, wooden toolsand a wicker basket, which may have once held bread.
The remains of an oak tree and wooden piles from a bridge were also unearthed from the waterlogged earth. Edward Biddulph, of Oxford Archaeology, stated that “the pit was still waterlogged, and this has preserved a remarkable collection of organic objects” according to the BBC.
The egg was discovered at the water-logged ancient Roman site. (Oxford Archaeology)
Eggs From the Roman Empire
Among the organic items found were four eggs, thought to be chicken eggs. They were all found intact but as they were being moved, three of them broke, as they were so fragile. The broken eggs emitted a very powerful and unpleasant smell, this was not a surprise as they were centuries old, after all.
However, one of the eggs was extracted intact from the muddy ground, after some painstaking work. This was astonishing as only fragments of eggshells had been found, previously in Britain, mainly from Roman-era graves.
Archaeologists endeavored to prevent breaking the egg as they removed it. (Oxford Archaeology)
The archaeologist had found the only complete chicken egg from Roman Britain. To find any intact egg from the past is very rare but to find one from 1,700 years ago still containing its yolk and white is astonishing. But A micro CT scan carried out by conservator Dana Goodburn-Brown, who took the egg to the University of Kent, produced 3D images which revealed the contents of the egg, complete with the air sac.
“It produced an amazing image that indicated that the egg, apart from being intact – which is incredible enough – also retained its liquid inside, presumably deriving from the yolk, albumen etc,” said Mr Biddulph.
The Ancient Egg Was at the Site of a Roman era Wishing Well
To understand why there were eggs and other items simply left in the ground we need to understand the area where they were found. It appears that the site was once a waterlogged pit, which was possibly used in a similar way to a wishing well.
People would toss objects into the pit for good luck. A Roman mirror and some pots had also been discovered in the location with the organic items.
It is also possible that the eggs and the basket, were offerings of food to the dead, perhaps after a burial. This was very common in funerary customs in the classical era. Eggs were highly symbolic, for many ancient peoples and “In Roman society, eggs symbolized fertility and rebirth” according to the Daily Mail.
The remains of an oak and willow basket were also discovered at the same site as the ancient egg. (Oxford Archaeology)
They were associated in particular with the Roman gods Mercury and Mithras, a deity of Persian origin. The eggs may have been placed in the pit to win the favor of one of these gods.
The excavation was financed by the construction company, Berryfields Consortium. The dig finished in 2016 and over the subsequent years, researchers have been carefully analyzing the numerous finds. A monograph that “describes the results of the fieldwork and analysis of an exceptional range of the artifactual and environmental evidence” reports Oxford Archaeologywas published in 2019.
Further investigations, including a trip to the University of Kent for scanning and consultations with experts at London’s Natural History Museum, aim to uncover more about the egg’s origins, including the species of bird that laid it. These efforts highlight the egg’s unparalleled archaeological and scientific value, being the oldest known unintentionally preserved avian egg, as noted by Douglas Russell, senior curator at the museum.
The egg is currently housed at the Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury, with ongoing work to safely extract its contents for further research, promising new insights into Roman Britain’s dietary habits and daily life. This find not only underscores the sophistication of archaeological techniques but also the potential for new discoveries to reshape our understanding of ancient human cultures.
Top image: The Roman-era egg was cast into a watery pit, possibly as part of a funeral rite. Source: Oxford Archaeology.
By Ed Whelan
