Aylesbury Roman egg with contents a 'world first', say scientists (2024)

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Did archaeologists find an ancient Roman egg? ›

An archaeological excavation in Britain unearthed the only intact chicken egg from Roman Britain, believed to be 1,700 years old. The “genuinely unique discovery” still contains the yolk and egg white. Finding an intact egg that old is rare in and of itself, but seeing liquid inside is astounding.

The egg, which is about 1,700 years old, was found during a dig in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Researchers said at the time it was a "genuinely unique discovery". However, they admitted they were "blown away" recently to find it still contained the yolk and egg white.

The Oxford Archaeology statement noted that the Romans often ascribed symbolic meanings to eggs; they were associated with the gods Mithras and Mercury and had connotations of fertility and rebirth.

This is a story of an intact chicken egg, 1,700 years old and as far as we know the only one of it's kind in the world. It was found just outside Aylesbury, when the Berryfields estate was being built. Three were actually found, but they were incredibly fragile and only one survived the excavation intact.

The egg was first discovered in 2010 alongside three others in Aylesbury, England – about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of London – during an excavation conducted by charity Oxford Archaeology, Edward Biddulph, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, told CNN Monday.

Scientists in Britain have discovered an ancient Roman egg over 1,700 years old. What makes this egg special is its age and the fact that it still has its original liquid inside! This egg was found during an archaeological dig in Buckinghamshire. The archaeologists who found it couldn't believe their eyes.

Unwanted children might be given away to friends or family members, or adopted by an infertile couple, but according to Seneca, Philo and Cicero, infants could be drowned, thrown away with the rubbish, smothered, exposed to the elements, eaten by stray dogs or sold to slave traffickers.

Far from the culinary splendour described by Apicius, eggs were a common food item for the average Roman. They could eat eggs of several species: geese (the most sacred), pheasants, partridges, ducks, pigeons, and finally hens (the most common). The eggs could be eaten raw, boiled, soft-boiled, hard-boiled or fried…

The plague, generally believed to be smallpox, was possibly brought by soldiers returning from the campaign in Western Asia, leading to catastrophic results for the Roman populace, whom had likely never been exposed to the disease before. The main symptoms included diarrhea, skin sores and irritations and sore throats.

In the 19th century, the adjective "deviled" came to be used most often with spicy or zesty food, including eggs prepared with mustard, pepper, or other ingredients stuffed in the yolk cavity. Similar uses of "devil" for spiced foods include deviled ham and fra diavolo sauce (from the Italian word for "devil").

Is the yolk still in the 1700 year old egg? ›

A CT scan of the egg by the University of Kent found that it still contained the yolk and egg white. “In Britain, this was a unique find,” Edward Biddulph, senior project manager with Oxford Archaeology, a foundation involved in the excavations, told the outlet.

Archaeologists Were 'Amazed' to Find That a 1,700-Year-Old Chicken Egg Still Has Liquid Inside. New research shows that an intact chicken egg laid in Roman Britain 1,700 years ago still contains liquid inside, making it the only known egg of its kind in the world.

The egg was discovered in Aylesbury, UK. Researchers have cracked one of the mysteries hidden within a Roman egg, discovering that it still contains its liquid almost two millennia after it was first laid.

After much research and analysis, scientists have said that the egg belongs to an extinct giant sea lizard or snake that lived alongside the dinosaurs. According to the researchers, the millions year old fossil egg, measuring 29 cm by 20 cm (8 inches by 11 inches), is the second-largest egg in the world.

Eggs during the Roman era were often associated with fertility and rebirth, symbolizing gods like Mithras and Mercury. Now housed at a museum in Aylesbury, efforts are underway to extract the egg's contents without damaging the shell, making it a focal point for both historical and scientific study.

Scientists have pulled a 1,700-year-old egg from the ground at an archaeological dig, and found that it contains original the liquid and an air bubble inside, making it a unique find.

Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870.

The speckled egg, which is about 1,700 years old, was recently discovered by Oxford Archaeology during excavations near the town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, UK. It was found alongside other eggs inside a woven basket in an area that is believed to have once been a Roman wishing well.