Archaeologists solve 1,800-year-old Roman fresco puzzle in London
London researchers have reconstructed a large Roman wall plaster collection, revealing 1,800-year-old frescoes that decorated a high-status building. (Source: MOLA)
Archaeologists digging in the East End of London recently discovered compelling signs of luxury in a neighborhood long labeled poor — including a seal from a bottle of French wine.
The wine seal was of particular interest, as it came from Chateau Margaux, a prestigious French vineyard once favored by President Thomas Jefferson as well as British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. A release on Jan. 12 from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) shared the details.
"Remarkably, the MOLA team uncovered a seal from one of these prized wine bottles during their excavations," the organization said.
The excavations took place ahead of SEGRO Park Wapping, an industrial development in the Wapping area of East London, in the borough of Tower Hamlets.
The seal from the bottle of French wine was found along with the floor of a chapel, terrace house foundations, and "wells, soakaways and rubbish pits full of pottery and clay pipes in the gardens."
French wine bottles were among the unexpected luxury items discovered during a recent archaeological dig. (MOLA, Andy Chopping)
Archaeologists also found numerous artifacts left behind by Victorian children, including a slate school tablet "covered with children’s scribbles and handwriting."
In addition, archaeologists found "alleys" — ceramic marbles designed to resemble alabaster stone — that children once played with.
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"They were found inside a covered, brick-lined drain, perhaps lost during a particularly enthusiastic match," the release added.
Excavators knew the site was home to a school dating back to the 1530s, as well as alms houses that lasted on the site from the 1550s to the late 19th century, according to MOLA's release.
Archaeologists in London uncovered Victorian-era artifacts linked to children, including school materials and toys, during a recent excavation in Wapping. (MOLA, Andy Chopping)
The houses "provided homes and a monthly stipend for older local people in need," the release noted.
"Together these help build a picture of the everyday lives of the people who once called this area home," the release added.
A slate school tablet covered in children's handwriting was among the items unearthed at the former school site. (MOLA, Andy Chopping)
Alex Banks, MOLA senior archaeologist, told Fox News Digital that experts are still investigating exactly how old the artifacts are.
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"We're currently exploring this as part of our post-excavation work on the site, so we hope to be able to share more soon," he said.
French wine bottles were among the unexpected luxury items discovered during the archaeological dig. (MOLA; Andy Chopping)
Archaeologists are also investigating what exactly the scribbles say.
Blanks added that artifacts related to children "are far less frequent [to come across] compared to those relating to adults."
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He cited the French wine seal as one of the most surprising discoveries of the excavation.
Excavators also found expensive imported pottery and wine glasses — which pushes back on the long-held idea that Wapping was always a uniformly poor area.
MOLA archaeologists are continuing post-excavation analysis to better understand markings found on a Victorian school slate. (MOLA, Andy Chopping)
"Finds like this [reveal that] this area of London close to the Ratcliff Highway had a more complex social history in the 1700s and 1800s than often biased contemporary sources would have you believe," said Blanks.
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"In reality, it was a very diverse area — just like the East End of London is today."
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