A Roman villa unearthed on a building site has been described as potentially “the first of its kind” ever found.
The remains of the large “stately home” and bath house were found on a site in Scarborough, in North Yorkshire. Historic England said the type of layout has “never been seen in Britain” and may be the first example “within the whole former Roman Empire”. Inspector of ancient monuments Keith Emerick said it was “more than we ever dreamed of discovering”.
Excavations revealed a large complex of buildings including a circular central room with a number of rooms leading off it, as well as the bath house.
Archaeologists believe the remains are likely to represent a high-status luxury Roman villa or religious sanctuary, or a combination of both.
They’re likely the first of their kind to be found in Britain and possibly the entire ancient Roman Empire, which spanned from England to western Asia at its peak around AD 100.
The remains were discovered on the site of a new housing estate under construction in the Eastfield area of Scarborough.
Excavations revealed a large complex of buildings, including a circular central room with several rooms leading out and a bathhouse.
Mr Emerick said it was unclear what the building was used for but described it as a Roman version of a stately home, possibly owned by someone of wealth and status.
He added: “We’ve spoken to a number of leading Roman academics about it and we’re all trying to find a comparable site and we are struggling.
“So in that sense, it’s really important. It’s also really exciting.”
He said the mansion could have been later adapted for religious purposes: “One of the descriptions we have is that it resembles a religious building almost like a gentlemen’s club. There’s also a bathhouse. So it’s a really interesting hybrid building at the moment.”
In order to protect the discovery, housing developer Keepmoat, has altered its plans so the remains will be conserved beneath a public open space rather than built on as originally intended.
Mr. Emerick said the site will be designated a national monument on schedule and he hopes it will be accessible to the public in the future.
