English News in Levels

Archaeologists at Vindolanda Uncover a 1,600-Year-Old Carving of a Roman Guardian Spirit

Excavation director Dr. Andrew Birley discovered a sandstone relief of a Genius, a Roman protective spirit, hidden beneath the floor of a fourth-century barrack building at Vindolanda in northern England. The 44-centimeter carving, showing the figure holding a cornucopia and a ceremonial bowl, had been deliberately buried face-down more than 1,600 years ago and survived largely intact, protected by the stonework above it. Experts say surviving stone reliefs of a Genius are far rarer than the inscriptions that usually invoke one, making the find especially valuable.