‘Exquisite’ Roman figure found on HS2 dig in Buckinghamshire

Preservation of figure carved from single piece of wood is incredible, say archaeologists

An extremely rare, carved wooden figure from the early Roman era has been unearthed in a waterlogged ditch in Buckinghamshire, the latest extraordinary find in the UK's biggest ever archaeological dig along the 150-mile HS2 rail route.

The 67cm-tall figure is carved from a single piece of wood. Archaeologists said its preservation was incredible" given its age and material, but the lack of oxygen in the ditch helped prevent rotting over many centuries.