Previously, the Roman repertoire was thought to be more limited

Jan 23, 2012 08:32 GMT  ·  By
This aerial photo shows the large-scale structure of the Norfolk archaeological complex
   This aerial photo shows the large-scale structure of the Norfolk archaeological complex

A team of archaeologists recently discovered a new Roman-built structure in England. This would have not been particularly special if the structure weren't shaped like a wing. What's more, experts digging at the site have yet to discover any parallels for this building.

At this point, experts aren't sure whether the building was being used as a temple, or if it was meant for something else. Furthermore, this layout was previously not known to be a part of the Roman's somewhat limited building shape repertoire.

According to LiveScience, the building used to have two winged structures radiating from a large rectangular room, which then leads into a central room. The entire building is located in eastern England, near Norfolk, a bit to the south of Venta Icenorum, an ancient town.

University of Nottingham professor William Bowden, one of the leaders of the research effort, says that there are no other known examples of such architecture. In other words, this is the first building of this shape ever discovered.

Details of the work appear in the latest issue of the scientific Journal of Roman Archeology. UN experts conducted the work together with colleagues at the Norfolk Archaeological and Historical Research Group. Bowden was the author of the journal entry.

“Generally speaking, [during] the Roman Empire people built within a fixed repertoire of architectural forms. It's very unusual to find a building like this where you have no known parallels for it. What they were trying to achieve by using this design is really very difficult to say,” the expert says.

Archaeologists discovered an entire complex of structures at the dig site. At least one villa, two additional buildings, and potentially an oval or polygonal structure were part of the building complex.

Bowden argues that the buildings may have not been built for permanent use. He bases this assumption on the fact that the foundations for the two wings were made out of chalk and rammed clay. “This suggests that the superstructure of much of the building was quite light,” he goes on to say.

But this is not the case with the central room, whose foundation is made up of more durable lime mortar, with a little bit of clay, and a few pieces of flint and brick mixed in. Bowden believes that this groundwork may have supported a tiled roof.

Ultimately, the greatest mystery that remains to be solved is why these buildings do not respect the architectural styles of either Romans, or the Iceni, the local population living at and around the site before the invasion.