Archaeologists excavating at Magna Roman Fort have uncovered a rare terracotta head dating to the 3rd century AD, offering new insight into religious practice and local craft production on Rome’s northern frontier.
The find was made during excavations of the fort’s northern defences as part of a major five-year research and community archaeology project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The artefact was discovered on 5 June 2025 in the fill of a defensive ditch by volunteer excavators Rinske de Kok and Hilda Gribbin. Measuring just 78mm by 67mm, the orange terracotta head depicts a female figure with a centrally parted hairstyle formed of four plaited strands. Broken below the nose, the piece appears roughly executed, with noticeably asymmetrical eyes and crudely rendered features.
Roman artefact specialist Lindsay Allason-Jones suggested the object was likely made locally. “It appears to me that this has been a practice piece by an inexpert hand,” she said. “The eyes do not match at all, and the ears are very weird. That leads me to presume it was made on site, as no-one would have transported this very far or paid good money for it.”
While terracotta face pots are relatively common finds in Roman Britain, free-standing heads are rare. Allason-Jones noted that a second, more accomplished terracotta head was discovered at Magna in the 19th century. That earlier example, now held at the Great North Museum: Hancock, preserves a fuller head and bust and shares striking similarities with the newly discovered piece, including its hairstyle and facial features.
Rachel Frame, Senior Archaeologist at Magna, said the parallels are significant. “There are clear similarities between the two heads from Magna; they are clearly meant to depict the same figure,” she explained. Her current hypothesis is that the 2025 discovery represents a locally made copy of the earlier artefact, which may itself have been imported. “The woman depicted was clearly important to the people living at Magna,” she added.
Terracotta busts of this type are widely interpreted as votive objects, associated with religious practice. While common in parts of the Roman world, such objects remain unusual finds in Britain, making the discovery particularly significant.
The newly uncovered head will go on public display at the Roman Army Museum as part of a recent finds exhibition curated by the Vindolanda Trust. Researchers are continuing to investigate the identity of the figure, which may represent a goddess or an imperial woman, and are inviting comparisons from across the Roman world.
Header Image Credit : The Vindolanda Trust
Sources : Roman Army Museum & Magna Fort
