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12 January, 2021 15:55
A lump of stone used by a rider as a mounting block for almost 10 years has been identified as a 2,000-year-old Roman marble slab thought to be worth over £10,000.
Salisbury auction house Woolley and Wallis is trying to trace the origins of the rock, which had been in the garden of a 1960s bungalow on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border.
A spokesman for Woolley and Wallis said the 63cm-tall slab was found in a rockery in the garden, in Whiteparish, about 20 years ago. The owner used it as a mounting block in her yard, but one day noticed a laurel wreath carved into the surface.
Image zoom | Credit: Woolley and Wallis Salerooms
An English woman unknowingly discovered a piece of history in her garden and archeologists believe it s worth up to $20,000.
The marble slab was first found about 20 years ago in the southern England village of Whiteparish, according to a press release from Woolley and Wallis, the auction house that is now selling the historical rock. Get push notifications with news, features and more. + Follow
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For almost 10 years, the woman had been using the intricate slab as a horse mounting block in her stable.
The carvings were of a laurel wreath carved into the marble rock.
After having it professionally checked by a local archaeologist, the woman was stunned the object stems from the second century AD.
Experts believe it either has Greek or Asian origins and may have been transported to these shores two centuries ago.
An inscription beneath the wreath reads, in Greek: The people (and) the young men (honour) Demetrios (son) of Metrodoros (the son) of Leukios.
Archaeology news: Rock found in woman s garden turns out to be Roman slab worth £15,000 (Image: Wooley and Wallis)
The Romans have had a huge impact on the UK (Image: GETTY)