Archaeologists working at the Smallhythe Place excavation site in Kent, England have unearthed the headpiece of a 2,000-year-old ceramic statue that depicts the Roman messenger deity, Mercury, Greek god Hermes's counterpart.
According to the National Trust's press release on the discovery, the finding also led to a meaningful breakthrough regarding identifying a previously obscured Roman settlement that was believed to have been occupied between the first and third centuries.
Insights Provided by the 'Incredibly Rare' Find
As per the release, experts said that pipeclay figurines of Mercury are incredibly elusive, with only ten examples found so far. This contrasts the fact that his likeness was commonly displayed to usher in success in commerce and finance alongside being the symbol for fine arts.
Citizens from all levels of Roman social strata adorn their homes with statues or statuettes of the messenger god, often praising it. Aside from this, these artifacts are also left in various places, including a temple, to act as an offering to Mercury himself.
The more common counterpart of the pipeclay sculptures of the deity was made from metal, with the former comprising a fine white clay material originally intended for the construction of tobacco pipes.
"Few single pipeclay heads are known in Britain, some of which may have been votive offerings," said Fr. Matthew Fittock, an expert on ceramic figurines in Roman Britain, quoted by National Trust's press release.
"Finds like this at Smallhythe provide an extremely valuable insight into the religious beliefs and practices of the culturally mixed populations of the Roman provinces," he continued.
That said, pipeclay figurines of other Roman deities, specifically female ones, the majority of which depicted Venus, were otherwise a more common finding in excavation sites across Roman Britain.
The complete statuette in Mercury's likeness is believed by archeologists to have depicted the god in a standing pose, either adorned by a short cloak or while completely naked. They also suggest that the full figurine may be holding Mercury's iconic staff with two intertwining snakes.
All the findings from the excavation site are now on display at Smallhythe Place starting last Wednesday, Feb. 28.
