Amateur archaeologists discover rare winged goddess sculpture near Sycamore Gap
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Ancient sandstone sculpture found in pile of rubble
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- Amateur archaeologists unearthed a rare sandstone sculpture of the Roman goddess of victory at Vindolanda fort near Hadrian's Wall.
- The discovery was made in a reused pile of rubble by veteran volunteers Jim and Dilys Quinlan during their 21st year on the site's excavation program.
- The sculpture, believed to mark the end of an ancient Roman war, is thought to be one side of a larger relief that likely framed an inscription and was brightly painted.
- Vindolanda, a Roman fort built before Hadrian's Wall, served as a crucial construction and garrison base and was under Roman occupation between 85 AD and 370 AD.
- The sculpture will be displayed at the Vindolanda museum in 2026 as part of its Recent Finds exhibition.