1,700 Year Old Egg Never Broke

Summary

About 50 miles northwest of London sits a very old wishing well. Romans used to toss objects into the water here, offering items to the gods for good luck. Nearly 2,000 years later, archaeologists are still finding ancient artifacts from what is now a large, muddy pit, including coins, ceramic pots, shoes, and even bones from between 270 and 300 AD. The site is called Berryfields, which has an Iron Age Roman settlement along its southern edge and medieval earthworks are visible in the northeast section. The area was charitably excavated between 2007 and 2016 by Oxford Archaeology, and the results of the fieldwork revealed nearly two millennia of fascinating human activity. A team of researchers from the United Kingdom believe the Romans originally used to extract water for brewing ale, and later transformed the well into a place of ritual. However, in addition to the many objects uncovered from the depths, one item has baffled scientists today: a 1,700-year-old egg that is completely intact. The egg was found some years ago, but more recently, scientists made another discovery about it. A Micro CT scan showed that this ancient egg is still full of liquid. VIDEO “Organic materials and liquids do not normally survive the depths of time unless in special circumstances,” said conservator Dana Goodburn-Brown. “Anaerobic conditions at the site preserved the eggs in situ.” The egg was found among three other broken shells, serving as the first evidence of Roman habitation in what is now Britain. This rare artifact is the oldest example of an unintentionally preserved avian egg in existence. It has survived since the third century thanks to the environment within the pit. The clay composition of the waterlogged soil prevented oxygen from circulating around the egg, creating a protective cocoon resistant to decomposition. In addition to an air bubble, the insides are presumably derived from the yolk and albumen. However, it’s unclear what exactly remains in the egg or if it ...