Archaeological dig in Cockermouth unearths bust of Greek god of wine making
Watch as Andrew Misra visits an archeological dig in Cockermouth.
An archaeological dig in Cockermouth has unearthed a bust of the greek god of wine making.
A steelyard weight modelled on Silenus was discovered, who along with being the greek god of wine was also the god of drunkenness.
This discovery though is just one part of the site which dates back to the first century.
It comes after a similar dig in Cockermouth unearthed 2,000 years worth of history.
Roman gems were also discovered in a dig in Carlisle from 1,800 years ago.
Finds Officer Julie Shoemark spoke of her delight at finding the discovery.
She said: "This particular discovery by itself is a remarkable find. It is a wonderful survivor of roman craftsmanship and artistry.
"The size of the weight is definitely surprising. These weights usually tend to be a little bit smaller. I would say one in this condition and one depicting Silenus particularly is a little more unusual I have only found one good parallel for him."
The landowner at the dig site wants to put flood defences in which could help preserve the ancient settlement.
Site supervisor, Eddie Dougherty, said: “If you can imagine a regional capital leading to the forts on the Cumbrian coast line all the way down to Whitehaven and further north to Carlisle and further east to Corbridge. Cockermouth would be on par with Corbridge as a regional hub in the first and second centuries."
Eddie believes that the plan to install flood defences on the site would be invaluable for protecting ancient historical discoveries.
He said: "If Cockermouth suffers the floods that it suffered in 2015 and earlier then all this information will be washed away."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...