By BRIAN TILLEY

Published at 09:45, Friday, 17 July 2009

ONE of the most important artefacts ever unearthed at the Vindolanda Roman site near Bardon Mill could also be the heaviest.

Enshrined: The shrine to Jupiter discovered at Vindolanda. The god can be clearly seen holding an axe and thunderbolt while riding a bull.

For the new find tips the scales at an amazing 1.5 tonnes!

That’s the estimated weight of a perfectly preserved four-foot high religious shrine discovered next to the north gate of the fort.

The ornately carved stone relic shows a god-like figure standing on the back of a bull, with a thunderbolt in one hand and a battleaxe in the other, and may have been used in ritual sacrifices.

Director of excavations at Vindolanda Andrew Birley said: “What should have been part of the rampart mound near to the north gate of the fort has turned out to be an amazing religious shrine.

“There is a substantial and exceptionally well preserved altar dedicated by a prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls to an important eastern god, Jupiter of Doliche.”

The inscription reads: “To Jupiter Best and Greatest of Doliche, Sulpicius Pudens, prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, fulfilled his vow gladly and deservedly.”

Jupiter of Doliche’s cult centre was in modern southern Turkey and his worship spread rapidly in the Roman Army, where he was regarded as all powerful and strongly associated with Rome’s Jupiter, king of all the gods.

Mr Birley said: “Major altars like this are very rare finds and to discover such a shrine inside the fort is highly unusual.

“The shrine also has evidence of animal sacrifice and possible religious feasting.

“It all adds to the excitement of the excavations and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most excavators.”

There was further excitement at the fort, where excavations have been going on for more than 30 years, when part of a second altar was discovered in the shrine.

This one was dedicated by a prefect of the Second Cohort of Nervians, a Vindolanda regiment that moved to the fort at Whitley Castle further along the South Tyne Valley in the third century AD.

Vindolanda is considered one of the most exciting Roman sites in the country, with teams of archaeologists constantly turning up new finds to go with important discoveries such as the famed Vindolanda writing tablets.

This year’s excavations continue until mid September and trench edge talks by archaeologists are given at 2pm daily during the school holiday period.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk