Spectacularly preserved Roman-age egg still has its yolk and whites (2024)

Spectacularly preserved Roman-age egg still has its yolk and whites (1)

A three-dimensional scan of a 1,700-year-old egg discovered at a Roman site in England reveals that, eggs-traordinarily, it still has the remains of a yolk and egg white inside.

It's thought to be the only time a centuries-old chicken egg found with its insides preserved.

"We were absolutely blown away when we saw the contents in there, as we might have expected them to have leached out," Edward Biddulph, a senior project manager at the private company Oxford Archaeology, told BBC News.

Related: 6 incredible egg facts, just in time for Easter

The egg was one of four found several years ago during an archaeological excavation of a Roman-era site in the central English town of Aylesbury, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of Oxford. Three of the fragile eggs fractured as they were unearthed, releasing a "potent stench," but the fourth remained intact.

Now, the surviving egg has been scanned at the University of Kent with microscopic computed tomography (micro-CT), in which many X-ray scans are compiled digitally to make a virtual 3D model. "It produced an amazing image that indicated that the egg, apart from being intact — which is incredible enough — also retained its liquid inside, presumably deriving from the yolk, albumen etc," as well as an air bubble, Biddulph said.

Roman eggs

The eggs were found in a waterlogged pit at the Aylesbury site, which was being excavated by Oxford Archaeology ahead of a housing development. The archaeologists found evidence of habitation there dating back to the Neolithic period, and the pit dated from the third century A.D., when England was a part of the Roman Empire.

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According to a statement from Oxford Archaeology, the pit was first used for malting grain and brewing ale, but it was later filled with water and became a place where passersby could throw in coins and other items as offerings to the gods for good luck.

Organic objects usually rot away when exposed to oxygen, but here many were preserved by the waterlogged soil. As well as the eggs, which seem to have been an offering of some sort, the pit contained a wooden basket, leather shoes, and wooden vessels and tools.

Although Roman-era eggshells have been found before — often in graves, where eggs were thought to be suitable offerings — this seems to be the first time a complete Roman-era egg has been found in Britain. The only other Roman-era egg to survive intact was found in the hand of a dead infant buried near the Vatican, according to The History Blog. But it contained no liquids; archaeologists think it represented rebirth after the premature death of the baby.

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.

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The intact egg from Aylesbury was taken to the Natural History Museum in London, where experts were consulted about how to conserve it without breaking it. Senior bird curator Douglas Russell told BBC News that the museum had a collection of mummified bird eggs excavated from the catacombs of sacred animals in Egypt that might be older.

"However, this is the oldest unintentionally preserved avian egg I have ever seen," he said. "That makes it fascinating."

The egg is now back at a museum in Aylesbury, where archaeologists are trying to work out how to extract the contents without breaking the shell.

Tom Metcalfe

Live Science Contributor

Tom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor who is based in London in the United Kingdom. Tom writes mainly about science, space, archaeology, the Earth and the oceans. He has also written for the BBC, NBC News, National Geographic, Scientific American, Air & Space, and many others.

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Spectacularly preserved Roman-age egg still has its yolk and whites (2024)

FAQs

Spectacularly preserved Roman-age egg still has its yolk and whites? ›

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.

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.

What rare 1700 year old egg found in England still contains liquid yolk? ›

These chicken eggs turned out to be around two millennia old! Three cracked during excavation, but a single "Aylesbury egg" survived. More recently, a scan has revealed that this egg still contains liquid inside it. An intact egg of this age is indeed a rare discovery and has made headlines worldwide.

Did archaeologists found an ancient Roman egg and the original liquid was amazingly inside? ›

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.

How old are the Roman eggs? ›

It is thought the egg, which was found in an ancient woven basket at the bottom of a watery pit, is around 1,700 years old. Experts from Oxford Archaeology say they unintentionally broke three other eggs in the find, which all released a "potent stench", but the fourth egg remained intact.

How many of the 1700 year old eggs are still whole? ›

Just one egg survived—and years after the discovery, archaeologists have cracked even more of its mysteries.

Is there a 1000 year old egg? ›

Information. These Chinese eggs are not really 1,000 years old, but somewhere between a month and several years. The egg is not retained in its original state, but rather converted into an entirely different food, probably by bacterial action. They are exempt from inspection and grading.

What is the rarest egg you can eat? ›

Guinea fowl eggs are rare because these birds only lay about 60 eggs each year. Because of its rarity, a guinea fowl egg is a tasty treat in certain parts of the world. A guinea hen egg has a thick shell that's the color of oatmeal with speckles of brown.

Why are washed eggs illegal in Britain? ›

In the UK, Grade A hen eggs may not be washed because the process is thought to "aid the transfer of harmful bacteria like salmonella from the outside to the inside of the egg," according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Is there an egg with a white yolk? ›

The color simply boils down to what the chickens eat. Some diets will result in a sunny yellow while others will bring about a fiery orange, near red, or completely pigment-free yolk. To be fair, a white or clear egg yolk might be a little off-putting if you've never encountered such a thing before.

How did Romans eat their eggs? ›

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

What is the oldest egg ever found? ›

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.

Were ancient Roman eggs kept alive for 2000 years? ›

(CNN) — 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.

What is the 7000 year old egg? ›

What am I? And for archaeologists in Israel, eight prehistoric ostrich eggs – thought to be between 4,000 and 7,500 years old – proved as valuable as treasure when they were discovered near an ancient fire pit in the Negev, a desert region in the south of the country.

Is the egg older than the chicken? ›

Back to our original question: with amniotic eggs showing up roughly 340 million or so years ago, and the first chickens evolving at around 58 thousand years ago at the earliest, it's a safe bet to say the egg came first. Eggs were around way before chickens even existed.

What happens to the yolk of an egg as it ages? ›

As the age of the egg increases, air cell size starts to increase with time. With an increase in the egg's age, the yolk's position changes from the center. Because egg white gradually becomes thinner and cannot bear the yolk in its proper place.

What do 100 year old eggs taste like? ›

A century egg tastes rich, complex, and pungent, like ripe blue cheese with a very faint hint of ammonia. (A spoiled century egg has a strong ammonia scent.)

What is the oldest intact egg found? ›

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.

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