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'Rare' Roman eagle sculpture unearthed in London

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ANI London

A Roman sculpture of an eagle clasping a snake has been discovered by archaeologists at a London building site.

According to experts, the sculpture, which was found in the City of London during a dig at a building site, is the finest sculpture by a Romano-British artist, Sky News reported.

The sculpture, made from oolitic limestone sourced from the Cotswolds, dates from the first or second century AD.

Archaeologists, who also unearthed the foundations of a mausoleum during the dig, believe that the stone eagle once adorned the structure.

Experts reported that the two-foot-tall sculpture came out of the ground "covered in soil and unrecognisable' in September, in the last few hours of an excavation that had lasted several months.

 

It is in exceptionally good condition with details such as the forked tongue of the snake and the individual feathers of the eagle remain.

The sculpture will go on display for six months at the Museum of London from Wednesday.

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First Published: Oct 30 2013 | 12:15 PM IST

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