‘Beautifully preserved’ woven Roman structure found in UK may hold ‘secrets’
Researchers in the United Kingdom have unearthed some unusual and “exciting archaeology.”
Field teams in Norfolk discovered a “beautifully preserved Roman well” that is “lined with intricately woven wicker,” according to a June 30 Facebook post from Oxford Archaeology.
Experts said the well is part of a bigger Roman rural settlement complex and is one of several discovered at the site. The team also found pieces of what was a wooden ladder inside the well.
An interactive 3D rendering of the find created by the Oxford Archaeology team shows the placement of the ladder rails and rungs, large timber pieces used to fill gaps between the well’s cut shafts and wicker and the uprights around which the wicker is wrapped.
The team said the finds offer “a fascinating glimpse into life in Roman Britain.”
“The well is still being excavated — and we’re eager to see what secrets might lie at its depths.”
Rare artifacts have been discovered at the bottom of wells from other Roman sites around the world. In 2024, for instance, archaeologists found burnt bones, glass containers, pottery pieces and marble fragments at the bottom of a Roman well discovered in Italy, McClatchy News previously reported.
