Breathtaking Roman sculpture of eagle devouring a serpent is plucked from the London earth.

[dipsydoodle]

Hidden since the Romans ruled Britain, this extraordinary sculpture was perfectly preserved for 1,900 years beneath a busy street.

The carvings on the 26in high eagle are so crisp that when archaeologists unearthed it last month they feared it was a much later copy rather than an original Roman relic.

But experts at the Museum of London Archaeology confirmed that the sculpture from a high-ranking official’s tomb dates from the 1st or 2nd century AD, and is one of only two statues of its type in the world. The other was found in Jordan in 1937.

Archaeologists also unearthed foundations of a mausoleum on the east London site and believe that the statue, dating from the first or second century AD and made from oolitic limestone from the Cotswolds, once adorned it.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2478904/Roman-sculpture-eagle-devouring-serpent-unearthed-London.html#ixzz2jDZG99Lk

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Very amazing and wonderful, thanks for posting this.

I love this sort of thing. The condition is just stunning.

[Eleanors38]

2. That muscular bird sure looks Roman.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

3. Simply fantastic.

These discoveries brighten my day.

[TlalocW]

4. An eagle devouring a serpent

Is Mexican, not Roman. Oh, my God! The Aztecs discovered England!

TlalocW

[starroute]

5. Actually it's global

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda

In Hindu religion, Garuda is a Hindu divinity, usually the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun.

Garuda is known as the eternal sworn enemy of the Nāga serpent race and known for feeding exclusively on snakes, such behavior may have referred to the actual Short-toed Eagle of India. The image of Garuda is often used as the charm or amulet to protect the bearer from snake attack and its poison, since the king of birds is an implacable enemy and "devourer of serpent". Garudi Vidya is the mantra against snake poison to remove all kinds of evil. . . .

Garuda became the national emblem of Thailand and Indonesia; Thailand's Garuda is rendered in a more traditional anthropomorphic mythical style, while that of Indonesia is rendered in heraldic style with traits similar to the real Javan Hawk-eagle.

[freshwest]

9. My first thought, too! Explains a teabag sister's belief system about Obama voters, too. Who knew?

[trumad]

6. Actually I'm more interested in the archeologist in the picture.

[A Simple Game]

12. You made me go back up to look at the picture again.

I see what you mean.

[pansypoo53219]

7. more amazing is a woven basket i saw on yahoo.

LEATHER. neat old sandal. ceramics.

[MisterP]

8. I always tell my students about the Iraqis in Scotland to show just how cosmopolitan

it got after the diadochi

[greiner3]

10. I want one of each.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. soooo coool.

The ancient world....so fascinating!