R&S Pride JANUARY 234.qxp 30/11/2021 12:14 Page 10
NEWS & EVENTS
Landowner’s Roman find in Rutland ACHILLES MOSAIC IS THE MOST EXCITING FIND IN A CENTURY, SAY ARCHAEOLOGISTS RUTLAND Anyone who’s laboured hard in the garden this year will be able to relate to uncovering bits and bobs in the soil as you’re working in the garden. But for one Rutland landowner, a family ramble and a bit of digging led to the most significant archaeological find in over a century. During the 2020 lockdown, Jim Irvine and his family were out for a ramble in the fields of their farm (the media has been asked not to say where, exactly), and discovered a pattern in the ground, followed by some stonework. “Finding some unusual pottery among the wheat piqued my interest and prompted some further investigative work,” says Jim. “Later, looking at the satellite imagery I spotted a very clear crop mark, as if someone had drawn on my computer screen with a piece of chalk. This really was the ‘oh wow’
moment, and the beginning of the story.” Jim had uncovered the first example of a Roman mosaic featuring Achilles to be found in the UK, measuring 11m x 7m, likely to date back to the 3rd or 4th century AD. The mosaic was created in what it’s thought was the dining or entertaining area in a large villa. Unusually, it depicts Achilles’ battle with Hector at the conclusion of the Trojan war, which is seldom seen in other works. The mosaic and surrounding villa complex have now been protected as a Scheduled Monument by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England. The University of Leicester’s archaeology department is working alongside Historic England to research the site further. n
Closure of Birdfair... DR ANTHONY BIDDLE OF THE LRWT CONFIRMS THE END OF BIRDWATCHERS’ GLASTONBURY
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RUTLAND Last month saw the announcement that Rutland’s Birdfair would not be returning to the county post-Covid. “For over 30 years, LRWT, supported by its staff, volunteers and members, has been proud to run this internationally-renowned event,” says Dr Anthony Biddle of the LRWT. “Working with the RSPB, we have brought thousands of visitors to Rutland Water for three days each August, and overall have raised more than £5 million for overseas projects run via the Birdlife International group of charities.”
The impact of Covid, the carbon footprint generated by the event and concern about the impact the event might be having on the reserve itself are all factors in the event’s closure. “Although we are bringing Birdfair to a close, we’re pleased to be able to announce a donation of £15,005 to Birdlife International. This amount is made up of direct donations and auction proceeds in aid of their Helmeted Hornbill conservation project supported by our Virtual Birdfair in 2020,” says Anthony. n
