While COVID-19 restrictions have undoubtedly presented significant challenges for the heritage community, there have also been some archaeological silver linings over the last 18 months. One of these was the noted uptick of reported Treasure finds in domestic settings during the first 2020 lockdown, as housebound individuals entertained themselves by digging in their gardens (see CA 372), but the easing of restrictions last year sparked opportunities too for new research and new discoveries. At Wall in Staffordshire, once an important Roman staging post on Watling Street, this included illuminating analysis of an unusual 1st-century lead figurine that, since its discovery almost a century ago, has been variously interpreted as an enslaved person and as a wrestler. Now new research by English Heritage curator Cameron Moffett suggests that this identification should be amended once more.
‘To a certain extent, this is a COVID story,’ Cameron said. ‘At the beginning of the pandemic, curatorial staff at Wall’s site museum took some key objects off display and moved them into secure storage as everything closed. Then, when we anticipated things reopening, I thought we should take some new photos of the figurine, as we only had old, unclear images in our records.’
While examining the new images, Cameron noticed evidence of a previously unobserved socket running through the figure’s clenched right hand, which she believes may have originally held a separately cast weapon, perhaps a bronze spear.In light of this discovery, in a report set to be published in the Transactions of the Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society (see ‘Further reading’ on p.27), Cameron suggests that the man should be reinterpreted as a warrior, and explores his significance as part of a very small group of depictions of black African people known from Roman Britain.
