CAMBRIDGESHIRE, ENGLAND—The Guardian reports that a first-century A.D. figurine unearthed on the grounds of a country estate in the East of England in 2018 may depict a Celtic man or deity other than the god Cernunnos, as was originally thought upon its discovery. The two-inch tall, copper alloy sculpture was once attached to a spatula that may have been used to mix medicines or clear wax writing tablets. After cleaning, researchers can see more of the figure's detail. The clean-shaven man’s hair is short in the front, and in the back, it falls in a V shape on his neck just below his ears. “We have so few visual or written depictions from the Romans of what the native people looked like, so it’s tempting to say he was designed based on what people looked like or what the current trends were then,” said archaeologist Shannon Hogan of the National Trust. “He hasn’t been likened to any particular Celtic deities that we know of but then there are some that don’t have visual depictions,” she added. The site where the figurine was found is thought to have been a Roman settlement situated on a trade route. Roman military uniform fittings, coins, an ax head, cosmetic implements, harness pieces, and brooches were also recovered. For more on this figurine, go to "Celtic Curiosity."
