ENGLEFIELD, ENGLAND—A number of artifacts bearing the stamp of the Roman emperor Nero have been discovered at a tile production site at the Englefield Estate in southern England, according to a report from the Basingstoke Observer. The three Nero tiles were found during excavation of a series of Roman kiln structure that include large brick and tile production facilities. The project’s director, Mike Fulford, of the University of Reading, noted that the kilns were very well preserved and the scale of the operation suggested the Roman military had a role in running it. Nero was emperor from A.D. 54-68 and renowned for his extravagance and tyranny. There is no record of Nero having visited England, but the new discoveries at the site suggest a link to the nearby Roman town of Silchester. To read more about Roman England, go to “A Villa under the Garden.”
