PAPCASTLE, ENGLAND—A fertility genius thought to represent a local deity has been unearthed in a village in Cumbria. He holds a cornucopia and a patera, which are symbols of fertility. The site has also yielded the carved heads of male and female gods. The male statue wears a Phrygian cap, and may represent the god Mithras, or perhaps the god Attis, the consort of the goddess Cybele. If Attis, then the female head may represent his counterpart. The base of an amphora that contained a few coins, a stag figurine, and a Roman oil lamp have also been uncovered. According to a report in Culture 24, extensive flood deposits have been making it difficult for the archaeologists from Wardell Armstrong Archaeology to identify the site’s features. For more on Roman-era sculpture from Britain, see ARCHAEOLOGY's piece on a limestone depiction of an eagle carrying a snake.
