Intact Roman Egg Examined

News February 12, 2024

England Roman Egg
(© Oxford Archaeology)
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England Roman Egg

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that a micro-computed tomography scan of a 1,700-year-old chicken egg revealed that it still contains its yolk, egg white, and air sac. The egg was one of several discovered in southeastern England during an excavation conducted by researchers from Oxford Archaeology ahead of a construction project between 2007 and 2016, but the only one to have been removed from the site intact. The researchers think the eggs had been thrown into a watery pit, perhaps as part of a Roman funeral rite. Senior project manager Edward Biddulph said that the egg is being housed at the Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury while conservators try to figure out how to remove its contents without breaking the shell. “There is a huge potential for further scientific research and this is the next stage in the life of this remarkable egg,” he concluded. To read about ancient ostrich eggshell cups, go to "A Rare Egg."

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