EYNSFORD: Archaeologists celebrate 60th anniversary of Roman villa's excavation (From News Shopper)

EYNSFORD: Archaeologists celebrate 60th anniversary of Roman villa's excavation

7:00am Wednesday 4th November 2009 in

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ARCHAEOLOGISTS who unearthed a Roman villa have reunited to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of their excavation.

The excavation of Lullingstone Roman Villa began in 1949 and those who worked on the original dig got together at the site in Lullingstone Lane, Eynsford, for a celebratory party.

Believed to have been built around AD 100, the villa is thought to have been the home of several wealthy owners, including the Governor of Britain and later the Roman Emperor in AD 193.

During the excavation, one of the most important finds were Christian symbols discovered on wall plaster.

Director of Kent Archaeological Unit, Brian Philp, who worked on the site from 1952 to 1961, said: “The mosaics are the best in Kent and some of the best in the country.

“It’s quite clear the building was used by Christians in the fourth century, which makes it the earliest evidence of Christianity in Roman Britain.”