Archaeologists from the Colchester Archaeological Trust discovered an 1,800-year-old pit in Colchester, Great Britain, containing an ichthyosaur vertebra collected by a Roman inhabitant.
According to a report by Gizmodo, human interest in ichthyosaurs was previously believed to date back to 1699. The discovery in Colchester moves that date back to the third quarter of the 2nd century AD.
The fossilized bone was gathered alongside ceramics, Roman toilet spoons, and other trinkets. An article in Britannia described the find as the oldest known example of a human intentionally collecting ichthyosaur fossils.
Roman fossil collection
Patrick Spencer, lead author of the study and archaeologist at the Colchester Archaeological Trust, told Phys.org that it remains unclear why the fossils were placed in the pit. Spencer noted that a Roman quarry extracting green sand building stone operated nearby, suggesting the collector may have been a quarry worker who found the fossil while working.
In 2023, another research team found a plesiosaur vertebra fragment in a nearby Roman pit. Researchers told the BBC that pit was likely created by an avid Roman fossil enthusiast, and Spencer told Phys.org that both pits were likely created for similar reasons due to their close proximity.
The fossils in both pits were well preserved, indicating their owner valued them. Andrew Grief, a researcher involved in the 2023 discovery, told the BBC that while evidence shows Romans found these objects, researchers can only imagine what the Romans thought they had found.
Greek myths and other discoveries
Some scientists believe large animal fossils helped shape ancient Greek myths about giants, heroes, and gods. Greeks collected fossils between 1550 and 1200 BC in the late Bronze Age, believing the large bones belonged to mythological figures.
The source also noted previous reports by UNIAN on other scientific finds. Scientists in the United States identified lake sturgeons weighing 90 to 130 kg that can live over 400 years, while researchers in Europe discovered a 500,000-year-old ivory hammer, the oldest known ivory tool in Europe.
