The ruins of a luxurious Roman 'Beckingham Palace' have been discovered in the Somerset countryside.
Experts believes the palatial house would have been home to an ancient VIP in the 5th century who would have been as rich as David Beckham.
They say the home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds and was a 'second home' country retreat of someone in the top two per cent of society.
The site was initially explored in the 1960s, when a schoolmaster called Leonard Hayward took some of his pupils to an archaeological site to excavate the remains of an old Roman house.
Now decades later a team of researchers returned to the site to carry out more detailed studies.
A 5th century 'Beckingham Palace': Luxury villa found in Somerset may have housed a Roman billionaire
Researchers have excavated the remains of an old Roman house
First discovered in 1945 and studied in 1960s, villa was left until now
Villa was owned by someone in the top 2 per cent of society at the time
The home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds today
By Abigail Beall For Mailonline
23 August 2016
Daily Maail
The ruins of a luxurious Roman 'Beckingham Palace' have been discovered in the Somerset countryside.
Experts believes the palatial house would have been home to an ancient VIP in the 5th century who would have been as rich as David Beckham.
They say the home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds and was a 'second home' country retreat of someone in the top two per cent of society.
The ruins of a luxurious Roman 'Beckingham Palace' have been discovered in the Somerset countryside (artist's impression pictured). Experts believes the palatial house would have been home to an ancient VIP in the 5th Century
The site was initially explored in the 1960s, when a schoolmaster called Leonard Hayward took some of his pupils to an archaeological site to excavate the remains of an old Roman house.
Now decades later a team of researchers returned to the site to carry out more detailed studies.
Nearing the end of their project, Dr James Gerrard of Newcastle University - who led the team - claims the villa most probably housed a Roman billionaire.
The remains of the home show it had a posh octagonal plunge pool surrounded by a mosaic.
Dr Gerrard thinks the villa was probably a holiday home or rural retreat for its past owners, which was most likely not used as a main property all year round.
'The people who lived here were very high status, Romanised Britons we think,' he said.
'The population of late Roman Britain was about four million people and there were only about 2500 villas.
'What we're looking at here is in modern terms equivalent to David Beckham's house.
'The owner was probably on the town council at Lichester nearby.
On Monday the researchers uncovered a tiled floor (pictured). 'It was a busy day on site today but the team managed to make a brilliant discovery of a tessellated floor,' the researchers wrote
A villa recently examined by archaeologists (pictured at the site) is being described as the 'Beckingham Palace' of its day, that most probably housed a Roman billionaire. The villa was probably a holiday home or rural retreat for its past owner
The team discovered a channel (pictured) bordered by two giant burnt hamstones, which may have been used as a stoke hole for the heated flooring of the villa
The house probably had running water and heated floors. A section of burnt material showing what could perhaps be a Roman oven, identifed by colour changes around the cut feature, is pictured
'They spent their money on a flash house. It probably had running water.
'They were from the very top two or three per cent of society. Most people were living in two or three rooms with an oven.
The team is still working on excavating the villa, in a joint project with the South Somerset Archaeological Research Group - and more interesting parts of the building continue to be unveiled.
Last week the researchers found a channel bordered by two giant burnt hamstones, which may have been used as a stoke hole for the heated flooring of the villa.
Dr James Gerrard of Newcastle University claims the villa, located in a village called Lufton in the Somerset countryside (map pictured), is the equivalent of a modern-day house worth millions of pounds
Dr James Gerrard of Newcastle University (pictured holding a piece of the ruins) claims the villa, located in a village called Lufton in the Somerset countryside, is the equivalent of a modern-day house worth millions of pounds
'Beckingham Palace' is pictured. The Beckhams bought the 12-acre estate in Hertfordshire in 1999 just three months after their wedding, and lived in it until 2014 when David's career took the family abroad
Yesterday, the researchers uncovered a tiled floor.
'It was a busy day on site today but the team managed to make a brilliant discovery of a tessellated floor,' the researchers wrote in a blog post.
'This pavement is in a room that occupies an area that Hayward had thought was outside of the villa entirely.'
The site has not been touched since the 1960s, when a local schoolmaster, Leonard Hayward, carried out early investigative work there.
The team is still working on excavating the villa (pictured), in a joint project with the South Somerset Archaeological Research Group - and more interesting parts of the building continue to be unveiled
The researchers think the villa was owned by the equivalent of David Beckham (pictured left) and his wife Victoria (pictured right). The population of late Roman Britain was about 4 million people and there were only about 2500 villas
At one end of the villa is an elaborate mosaic with an octagonal plunge pool bath in the middle, which is out of keeping with the rest of the building. 'Whoever built it employed some really dodgy builders,' said Dr Gerrard, pictured
The villa site was discovered in 1945 and several excavations took place in the years that followed.
At one end of the villa is an elaborate mosaic with an octagonal plunge pool bath in the middle, which is out of keeping with the rest of the building.
'Whoever built it employed some really dodgy builders,' says Dr Gerrard.
'You can clearly see the buttresses that were put in later to support the subsiding tower.'
The latest activity in the building was likely taking place during the 5th century, a mysterious period in Somerset before the Anglo-Saxons and after the Romans.
Octagonal structures are common in temple buildings built in the West Country in the 3rd and 4th centuries.
Buildings of this shape were also used in 5th century Italy as Christian baptisteries.
'For me, the interesting part will be trying to figure how this building was used,' said Dr Gerrard.
'It's a nice country house that was later subdivided into rooms and had a working iron furnace inserted into one of the mosaics. This change in use probably dates to the early 5th century, when Roman influence in Britain was waning.'
The villa site was discovered in 1945 and several excavations took place in the years that followed. Researchers pictured excavating an oven on the East side of the trench, before moving on to mosaic hunting
The site (pictured) has not been touched since the 1960s, when a local schoolmaster, Leonard Hayward, carried out early investigative work there
Dr Gerrard and his team will be using the latest scientific techniques to find out what type of metal working was being carried out.
'We hope to be able to find out more about the economy and diet of the inhabitants as well,' he adds.
'Leonard Hayward collected 106 bones which he thought "might be ox", digging long before detailed scientific analyses.
'We hope to find more animal bones, burnt seeds and snail shells which will allow us to use radiocarbon dating that wasn't available in the 1950s and 1960s and to assess the economy and environment of the villa.'
The latest activity in the building was likely taking place during the 5th century, a mysterious period in Somerset before the Anglo Saxons and after the Romans
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE OWNERS?
Experts say the house would have been home to an ancient VIP as rich and famous as David Beckham.
The owners were Romanised Britons who lived in the house until the 5th century.
The owners would have been very high status, and probably on the town council at Lichester, nearby.
The house probably had running water and heated floors.
The home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds and was a 'second home' country retreat of someone in the top two per cent of society.
The remains of the sprawling 'flash' home shows it had a posh octagonal plunge pool surrounded by a mosaic.
THE LAST EXCAVATION
The site has not been touched since the 1960s, when a local schoolmaster, Leonard Hayward, carried out early investigative work there.
He took his grammar school pupils to the site in and they helped him excavate this nationally important building.
'Obviously, they didn't fully excavate it and it's not how we do it now, but it was a big thing in these boys' lives,' said Dr Gerrard.
Experts believes the palatial house would have been home to an ancient VIP in the 5th century who would have been as rich as David Beckham.
They say the home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds and was a 'second home' country retreat of someone in the top two per cent of society.
The site was initially explored in the 1960s, when a schoolmaster called Leonard Hayward took some of his pupils to an archaeological site to excavate the remains of an old Roman house.
Now decades later a team of researchers returned to the site to carry out more detailed studies.
A 5th century 'Beckingham Palace': Luxury villa found in Somerset may have housed a Roman billionaire
Researchers have excavated the remains of an old Roman house
First discovered in 1945 and studied in 1960s, villa was left until now
Villa was owned by someone in the top 2 per cent of society at the time
The home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds today
By Abigail Beall For Mailonline
23 August 2016
Daily Maail
The ruins of a luxurious Roman 'Beckingham Palace' have been discovered in the Somerset countryside.
Experts believes the palatial house would have been home to an ancient VIP in the 5th century who would have been as rich as David Beckham.
They say the home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds and was a 'second home' country retreat of someone in the top two per cent of society.
The ruins of a luxurious Roman 'Beckingham Palace' have been discovered in the Somerset countryside (artist's impression pictured). Experts believes the palatial house would have been home to an ancient VIP in the 5th Century
The site was initially explored in the 1960s, when a schoolmaster called Leonard Hayward took some of his pupils to an archaeological site to excavate the remains of an old Roman house.
Now decades later a team of researchers returned to the site to carry out more detailed studies.
Nearing the end of their project, Dr James Gerrard of Newcastle University - who led the team - claims the villa most probably housed a Roman billionaire.
The remains of the home show it had a posh octagonal plunge pool surrounded by a mosaic.
Dr Gerrard thinks the villa was probably a holiday home or rural retreat for its past owners, which was most likely not used as a main property all year round.
'The people who lived here were very high status, Romanised Britons we think,' he said.
'The population of late Roman Britain was about four million people and there were only about 2500 villas.
'What we're looking at here is in modern terms equivalent to David Beckham's house.
'The owner was probably on the town council at Lichester nearby.
On Monday the researchers uncovered a tiled floor (pictured). 'It was a busy day on site today but the team managed to make a brilliant discovery of a tessellated floor,' the researchers wrote
A villa recently examined by archaeologists (pictured at the site) is being described as the 'Beckingham Palace' of its day, that most probably housed a Roman billionaire. The villa was probably a holiday home or rural retreat for its past owner
The team discovered a channel (pictured) bordered by two giant burnt hamstones, which may have been used as a stoke hole for the heated flooring of the villa
The house probably had running water and heated floors. A section of burnt material showing what could perhaps be a Roman oven, identifed by colour changes around the cut feature, is pictured
'They spent their money on a flash house. It probably had running water.
'They were from the very top two or three per cent of society. Most people were living in two or three rooms with an oven.
The team is still working on excavating the villa, in a joint project with the South Somerset Archaeological Research Group - and more interesting parts of the building continue to be unveiled.
Last week the researchers found a channel bordered by two giant burnt hamstones, which may have been used as a stoke hole for the heated flooring of the villa.
Dr James Gerrard of Newcastle University claims the villa, located in a village called Lufton in the Somerset countryside (map pictured), is the equivalent of a modern-day house worth millions of pounds
Dr James Gerrard of Newcastle University (pictured holding a piece of the ruins) claims the villa, located in a village called Lufton in the Somerset countryside, is the equivalent of a modern-day house worth millions of pounds
'Beckingham Palace' is pictured. The Beckhams bought the 12-acre estate in Hertfordshire in 1999 just three months after their wedding, and lived in it until 2014 when David's career took the family abroad
Yesterday, the researchers uncovered a tiled floor.
'It was a busy day on site today but the team managed to make a brilliant discovery of a tessellated floor,' the researchers wrote in a blog post.
'This pavement is in a room that occupies an area that Hayward had thought was outside of the villa entirely.'
The site has not been touched since the 1960s, when a local schoolmaster, Leonard Hayward, carried out early investigative work there.
The team is still working on excavating the villa (pictured), in a joint project with the South Somerset Archaeological Research Group - and more interesting parts of the building continue to be unveiled
The researchers think the villa was owned by the equivalent of David Beckham (pictured left) and his wife Victoria (pictured right). The population of late Roman Britain was about 4 million people and there were only about 2500 villas
At one end of the villa is an elaborate mosaic with an octagonal plunge pool bath in the middle, which is out of keeping with the rest of the building. 'Whoever built it employed some really dodgy builders,' said Dr Gerrard, pictured
The villa site was discovered in 1945 and several excavations took place in the years that followed.
At one end of the villa is an elaborate mosaic with an octagonal plunge pool bath in the middle, which is out of keeping with the rest of the building.
'Whoever built it employed some really dodgy builders,' says Dr Gerrard.
'You can clearly see the buttresses that were put in later to support the subsiding tower.'
The latest activity in the building was likely taking place during the 5th century, a mysterious period in Somerset before the Anglo-Saxons and after the Romans.
Octagonal structures are common in temple buildings built in the West Country in the 3rd and 4th centuries.
Buildings of this shape were also used in 5th century Italy as Christian baptisteries.
'For me, the interesting part will be trying to figure how this building was used,' said Dr Gerrard.
'It's a nice country house that was later subdivided into rooms and had a working iron furnace inserted into one of the mosaics. This change in use probably dates to the early 5th century, when Roman influence in Britain was waning.'
The villa site was discovered in 1945 and several excavations took place in the years that followed. Researchers pictured excavating an oven on the East side of the trench, before moving on to mosaic hunting
The site (pictured) has not been touched since the 1960s, when a local schoolmaster, Leonard Hayward, carried out early investigative work there
Dr Gerrard and his team will be using the latest scientific techniques to find out what type of metal working was being carried out.
'We hope to be able to find out more about the economy and diet of the inhabitants as well,' he adds.
'Leonard Hayward collected 106 bones which he thought "might be ox", digging long before detailed scientific analyses.
'We hope to find more animal bones, burnt seeds and snail shells which will allow us to use radiocarbon dating that wasn't available in the 1950s and 1960s and to assess the economy and environment of the villa.'
The latest activity in the building was likely taking place during the 5th century, a mysterious period in Somerset before the Anglo Saxons and after the Romans
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE OWNERS?
Experts say the house would have been home to an ancient VIP as rich and famous as David Beckham.
The owners were Romanised Britons who lived in the house until the 5th century.
The owners would have been very high status, and probably on the town council at Lichester, nearby.
The house probably had running water and heated floors.
The home would be worth the equivalent of millions of pounds and was a 'second home' country retreat of someone in the top two per cent of society.
The remains of the sprawling 'flash' home shows it had a posh octagonal plunge pool surrounded by a mosaic.
THE LAST EXCAVATION
The site has not been touched since the 1960s, when a local schoolmaster, Leonard Hayward, carried out early investigative work there.
He took his grammar school pupils to the site in and they helped him excavate this nationally important building.
'Obviously, they didn't fully excavate it and it's not how we do it now, but it was a big thing in these boys' lives,' said Dr Gerrard.
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