These 2,000-Year-Old Roman Eggs Are Still Intact; What’s Inside Left Experts Astonished

There was to be a major construction in Aylesbury, central England, at a specific location called Berryfields. However, due to the historical heritage of the site, the local authorities agreed to allow some archaeological excavations to be conducted before construction work began. 

Upon their first encounter with the ancient eggs, many questions propped up about how the eggs got to the pit in which it was found and how they managed to remain intact for almost 2,000 years.

Archaeological experts have a lot of doubt about the conditions to which the eggs were subjected. However, they have to agree on an important clue: the pit that nurtured the eggs did not serve a single purpose over the ages. 

The archeological team sought permission to survey the Berryfields area because they reckoned the region would likely be littered with ancient artifacts. Remains of an ancient Roman road were found in the locale, and they suspected that Berryfields probably was the site of a settlement along the old road.

History has it that around 50 BC, Julius Ceasar invaded Britain on multiple occasions with his massive army. At a point, he prevailed and initiated the construction of a road network throughout Britain. The Romans had a knack for infrastructural penetration.

The Roman conquest of Great Britain was rather subtle. After their first two invasions of the region and retreat to Rome, the Romans made the Brits relax and massaged the soured relationship by instituting trade.  

Archaeologists from Oxford were quite aware that the Berrysfield area is symbolic in the interception of British and Roman culture. 

The surveys done by the Oxford Archeological team took longer than expected. However, they had a lot of spectacular artifacts to show for it. The team started digging in 2007 and did not pack up their tools until 2016. 

Among the many structures unearthed during the excavations were three roundhouses which the researchers believe are relics of ancient Roman settlers in the area. 

The Oxford Archaeological team did not limit themselves to excavating around the Roman road alone. Some members of the team were designated to simultaneously excavate a bit farther from the roads.

The ancient eggs were found in a pit just off the old Roman road. The team could tell they belonged to a chicken even before the final exhumation. However, they could not figure out the purpose of the pit. The function of the hole became a puzzle not because of the eggs but because of the other items that were dug up alongside them.

First, for the pit to have preserved the eggs for so long, it must have contained or allowed a steady inflow of water. Also, the survey team believes that the coins indicate that the Berryfields ancient settlement was either a marketplace or an administrative outpost.

During a 2019 interview, Stuart Foreman—the Oxford Archeological team project manager—stated that the primary reason for the eggs remaining intact after many years is the presence of water in the pit. Only one of the four chicken eggs was cracked, while the other three were found intact.

It has been agreed that the excavated Berryfields settlement must have been busy on the old Roman road. Some experts suggest it may have been a variant of a wishing well.

Remember we mentioned two of the three intact eggs cracked during the digging? The Oxford Archeology team reported the stench that trailed the crack to have been petrifying. The only intact egg was carefully wrapped and transported to the Buckinghamshire County Museum.