"Many Photos" - Mystery of Chedworth Villa's 1,800-year-old Roman glass shard is finally solved

An extremely rare piece of glass has been identified as a 1,800-year-old fish bottle after two years of analysis by experts from around the world.

The small piece of patterned green glass was found at Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire in the summer of 2017.

Chedworth, a National Trust property, is regarded as one of the grandest Roman villas in Britain, but the piece is was like nothing that had ever been found in Britain.

But now, glass experts have conclusively decided it was made thousands of miles away around the Black Sea in what is now Ukraine and was possibly used to hold exotic perfume. 

For the bottle to travel that far, it sheds new light on the wealth and power of the people who occupied Chedworth, regarded as one of the grandest villas in the UK.

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An extremely rare piece of glass has been identified as a 1,800-year-old fish bottle after two years of analysis by experts from around the world. The small piece of patterned green glass was found at Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire in the summer of 2017

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE GLASS?

The glass piece was found in the summer of 2017 but had to be sent to a leading Roman glass expert, the late Professor Jennifer Price, who sought advice from other experts to solve the mystery of its origins.

It was eventually found to match a fish shaped bottle that had been restored from many pieces, which is housed in the Corning Museum of Glass, New York.

By comparing the two samples, Prof Price concluded the piece came from near the tail of the fish bottle.

The only other example of such a fish-shaped Roman bottle comes from a 2nd century burial in Crimea. 

Nancy Grace, the National Trust archaeologist who led the work to investigate the find, said it had puzzled lots of people.

'People have been enchanted by it, but it has also been a long and difficult journey,' she said. 

'To have found that it is the only one of its type so far discovered in Roman Britain adds to our knowledge of the importance of Chedworth Roman Villa.' 

The team say that it 'underlines that the occupants were in touch with the furthest regions of the Roman Empire and wanted to show off that influence.'

The late professor Jennifer Price, a leading expert in glass, examined it first and then sought advice from other glass experts around the world. 

Professor Price eventually found it matched a fish-shaped bottle in the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.

Chedworth, a National Trust property, is regarded as one of the grandest Roman villas in Britain, but the piece is was like nothing that had ever been found in Britain. Pictured, Peter Moore who found the piece of glass

 But now, glass experts have conclusively decided it was made thousands of miles away around the Black Sea in what is now Ukraine and was possibly used to hold exotic perfume. Pictured here, an artist's impression of what a glass fish bottle would have looked like

Chedworth, a National Trust property, is regarded as one of the grandest Roman villas in Britain, but the piece is was like nothing that had ever been found in Britain

For the bottle to travel all the way from the Black Sea to Gloucestershire sheds new light on the wealth and power of the people who occupied Chedworth, regarded as one of the grandest villas in the UK

By comparing the two examples, Professor Price concluded the Chedworth piece came from near the 'tail' of the fish bottle. The only other example of such a fish-shaped Roman bottle comes from a 2nd century burial in Crimea.

By comparing the two examples, she concluded the Chedworth piece came from near the 'tail' of the fish bottle. 

The only other example of such a fish-shaped Roman bottle comes from a 2nd century burial in Crimea. 

It was made with an unusual technique, with the decoration laid on top of the blue-green surface to create scales in loops of white and yellow, and it is likely the fish’s open mouth formed the opening of the small flask. 

Evidence for the first stone structure at Chedworth Roman Villa dates to the 2nd century AD. This relatively simple structure consisted of three detached buildings, each of a few rooms. Over the next two centuries the villa was extended and improved, reaching its heyday in the 4th century AD, between 360-380A

It was made with an unusual technique, with the decoration laid on top of the blue-green surface to create scales in loops of white and yellow, and it is likely the fish’s open mouth formed the opening of the small flask

The glass piece, found at the National Trust’s Chedworth Roman Villa, is the only one of its kind ever discovered in Britain and is so rare it took glass experts around the world two years to identify

Peter Moore,  an archaeologist and Masters student at the University of York who found the glass said:  'When it appeared, the first wipe of the surface showed the colour and it quickly became apparent it was something special. 

'Excavating anything at Chedworth and knowing that you are the first person to gaze upon it for at least 1,800 years is a feeling that never tires, the memory of recovering this piece of glass certainly will not.

'Recovering such a unique find is incredibly humbling, it will no doubt prove a talking point for years to come. I am delighted that it will be displayed at the villa, enabling visitors and future generations to marvel at its beauty.'

WHEN DID THE ROMANS OCCUPY BRITAIN?

55BC - Julius Caesar crossed the channel with around 10,000 soldiers. They landed at a beach in Deal and were met by a force of Britons. Caesar was forced to withdraw.

54BC - Caesar crossed the channel with 27,000 infantry and cavalry. Again they landed at deal but were unopposed. They marched inland and after hard battles they defeated the Britons and key tribal leaders surrendered.

However, later that year, Caesar was forced to return to Gaul to deal with problems there and the Romans left.

54BC - 43BC - Although there were no Romans present in Britain during these years, their influence increased due to trade links.

43AD - A Roman force of 40,000 led by Aulus Plautius landed in Kent and took the south east. The emperor Claudius arrived in Colchester with reinforcements. Claudius appointed Plautius as Governor of Britain and returned to Rome.

In 43AD, a Roman force (artist's impression) of 40,000 led by Aulus Plautius landed in Kent and took the south east. The emperor Claudius then arrived in Colchester with reinforcements

47AD - Londinium (London) was founded and Britain was declared part of the Roman empire. Networks of roads were built across the country.

75 - 77AD - Romans defeated the last resistant tribes, making all Britain Roman. Many Britons started adopting Roman customs and law.

122AD - Emperor Hadrian ordered that a wall be built between England and Scotland to keep Scottish tribes out.

312AD - Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal throughout the Roman empire.

228AD - The Romans were being attacked by barbarian tribes and soldiers stationed in the country started to be recalled to Rome.

410AD - All Romans were recalled to Rome and Emperor Honorious told Britons they no longer had a connection to Rome.

Source: History on the net

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