Archaeological excavations at Teynham, Kent, have uncovered a Roman figure of Triton, a Greek sea god.
The Triton statue has been carefully lifted and removed from the site for initial conservation works.
The location was discovered while conducting research for a brand-new housing development next to the A2 London Road, which parallels the historic Roman Watling Street.
For early conservation treatment, the Triton statue was gently raised and removed from the area, exposing the piece's intricate design.
The statue itself and the circumstances surrounding its ritual burial are still being studied further.
Dr Richard Hobbs, Senior Curator of Roman Britain, The British Museum mentioned: "This is a really stunning piece of sculpture, undoubtedly of great significance to our understanding of Roman Britain and its place in the wider Roman Empire.
"It shows a Triton – half man, half fish – riding a sea monster. Although a few other fragments of similar sculptures are known from Roman Britain, nothing quite like this has been discovered before."
The archaeological investigation works commenced late May 2023.
Roman cremation remains and pieces of a chalk wall foundation were identified during the initial site assessment.
Due to this, Swale Council mandated a 0.5 hectare archaeological excavation at the site with the help of Kent County Council Heritage Conservation.
A 7m square structure was surrounded by a walled enclosure that measured 30m square.
Additional excavation work showed the building was formerly a Roman mausoleum, and one of its artifacts was a Roman coin from between 320 and 330 AD.
Roman and maybe later graves with diverse grave items were also present at the site.
Further research into the statue itself and the circumstances of its ritual burial are ongoing.
Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT), who were chosen to lead the inquiry, started working on the archaeological investigation in late May 2023.
The intention is to carefully bury and preserve these important relics within the roundabout's manicured center, preserving access to them for future generations.
Robert Masefield, Archaeology Director for RPS the project archaeological consultant confirmed: "We expected interesting Roman archaeology, perhaps a cemetery, but the finds including the lively and unique statue of a Triton and the mausoleum remains have by far exceeded that. These finds are now part of Teynham’s local legacy and the nations rich Roman story. Further study will place the findings in their full historical context."
"This area of North Kent, where the main Roman road travelled close to the many inlets off the Swale is particularly rich in in Roman remains taking advantage of the sea and road connections. The Roman mausoleum is the latest spectacular discovery in Swale and is itself an outstanding and significant find which will add considerably to our understanding of the Roman landscape in this region. I am fortunate in my work to regularly see many remarkable archaeological discoveries in Kent, however seeing the uncovering of the Triton statue was a very special moment indeed. It will be fascinating to follow the research into the statue and find out more about the ritual burial of it", said Simon Mason, Principal Archaeological Officer, Kent County Council.
