Beautiful Roman Lady Statue From 1,800 Years Ago Uncovered in English Country House

An ancient beautiful Roman lady statue was found on a massive country house's grounds in England.

Statue Findings

In April 2023, a digger driver, Greg Crawley, found the statue's marble head during a parking lot construction in Burghley House, which is a mansion from the 16th century situated in Lincolnshire county.

Crawley shares that it was a real shock for the digger, as what was thought to be a huge stone turned out to be a face. Upon picking it up, Crawley realized that the finding turned out to be a statue head.

After two weeks, a marble bust from the statue was also found.

Following these discoveries, the items were brought to Jon Culverhouse, a curator of Burghley House, prior to being delivered to a professional conservator. The conservator cleaned and consolidated the structure carefully. Doing so revealed a woman's features. The conservatory also reassembled both statue pieces.

1,800-Year-Old Beautiful Roman Lady Statue

Culverhouse shares that the figure depicts a beautiful Roman lady. At present, the woman's identity remains unclear.

Two experts determined that the statue was likely from the first to second centuries. However, it appears that an iron dowel or rod was added later on. This allowed the sculpture to be linked to a pedestal form.

According to Culverhouse, the statue and the adaptation made to it are common souvenirs that dealers used to sell to wealthy aristocrats going to Italy on a Grand Tour back in the 18th century. This journey was a multi-year one that upper-class young men took from northern Europe, most notably England, from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The trip usually ran through Italy and France.

Culverhouse shares that it could have been brought to Italy by the 9th Earl during one out of his two Grand Tours. The 9th Earl of Exeter, Brownlow Cecil, was a Member of Parliament and British peer who claimed ownership of the mansion for a time in the 18th century. During his Grand Tours to Italy, he bought several antiquities, including this statue.

However, it remains mysterious how the statue bust and head got buried in the area where they were retrieved. Culverhouse says that one possible explanation is that the statue could have been stolen from the garden that surrounds the mansion. This could have been where the structure stood.

The bust weight could have made the thief hide it close to an exit for it to be collected later on. How long the statue was hidden until its recovery also remains unclear.

The statue is now displayed on a staircase at the mansion, which opens yet again for its 2024 season. It can be seen alongside other sculptures that the 9th Earl purchased.

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