The rare remains were discovered in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, according to a statement from Historic England, a public body looking after the country’s historic environment, which was published on Thursday.
Archaeologists were set up to work on the project because Iron Age and Roman remains were found at the site, but the findings ‘were far more important than expected’, Historic England said.
It contains a circular central room with various rooms built on it, as well as a bathhouse. Archaeologists believe that the large complex of buildings could have been a luxury villa, a religious shrine or a mixture of both.
The surplus will be kept in an open public space for the new housing development.
MAP Archaeological practice
“These archaeological remains are a fantastic find and are far more than we ever wanted to discover in this area,” said Keith Emerick, Inspector of Ancient Monuments in Historic England. “They already give us a better knowledge and understanding of Roman Britain.”
This kind of layout has not been discovered before in the United Kingdom, and Historic England has said that it is the first time that the remains of such a complex have been seen in the entire Roman Empire, covering from 43 the vast areas of the island Great Britain occupies. -410 AD.
“This is a remarkable discovery that contributes to the story of the Roman settlement in North Yorkshire,” said Karl Battersby, corporate director, business and environmental services, North Yorkshire County Council, in the statement.
“Work by archaeologists in Northern Yorkshire has already established that the buildings were designed by the highest quality architects in Northern Europe in the era and built by the best craftsmen.”
Housing developer Keepmoat Homes has redesigned the development so that the surplus will sit in a public open space rather than be rebuilt.
Historic England will support further archaeological work on the site, and recommends that the remains become a scheduled monument that will provide them with protection.