Archaeological excavation uncovers opulent Roman villa featuring bath house

An archaeological excavation, involving archaeologists and 60 volunteers, has uncovered a Roman villa, described as indicative of a “luxury lifestyle.” This discovery followed reports of various finds by metal detectorists in the vicinity. This marks the initial excavation of the site, which represents the sole known Roman villa within Wiltshire’s Chalke Valley. Measuring 35 meters in length, the villa featured columns, mosaics, a bath house, and what may have been an outdoor pool. Artifacts recovered from the site are currently being analyzed prior to their transfer to Salisbury Museum. Dr. Denise Wilding, representing Teffont Archaeology, the organization that conducted the excavation, stated: “They’ve put some time and money into making it quite a nice place to be.” Dr. David Roberts, affiliated with Cardiff University and also part of Teffont Archaeology, served as the co-director for the excavation. He commented: “The site was likely the centre of a significant estate in the later Roman period, and its owners must have extracted a great deal of labour and surplus from the local farming communities to fund their luxury lifestyle.” The excavation uncovered a barn, the primary villa structure featuring a distinct bath house, and a section potentially used as an outdoor pool. Dr. Wilding described the villa and bath house as “really well done-out,” noting discoveries such as wall plaster, mosaics, and the base of a column. “The owners are clearly trying to tie themselves into quite a Roman way of living,” Dr. Wilding remarked. She further indicated that the discovery demonstrates the presence of “local elites” in the region who had adopted Roman culture. Through the study of less ornate artifacts, such as seeds and animal bones, researchers anticipate gaining insights into daily life, including agricultural practices and animal husbandry. Dr. Wilding clarified that metal detectorists had been submitting reports of finds to Salisbury Museum over a period, utilizing the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which serves to document items found by the public. Subsequent investigations confirmed the existence of structures at the location, leading the Cranborne Chase National Landscape’s Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership Scheme to provide funding for the excavation and solicit volunteers. Dr. Wilding also stated: “Our volunteers do a fantastic job of everything we ask them to.” BBC Wiltshire can be followed on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Details on our approach to external linking are available.