28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Roman copper-alloy tiny tortoise figurine found in Suffolk

In July last year, a small Roman copper alloy tortoise or turtle figurine was discovered by metal detectors near the village of Wickham Skeith in Suffolk, England.

The tortoise figurine has a flat base with no evidence of having once had a fixing, suggesting that it was a free-standing figurine, and possibly part of a larger set of figures.

There is no exact date, but experts date it to the early 2nd century AD, as a similar example was unearthed in settlement layers dating to around 100-400 AD during excavations in the Roman city of Colchester.

At just over one inch long and just under one inch wide, the figurine’s body is shaped like a typical turtle/tortoise shell, sub-circular in plan and D-shaped in section. While the top of the shell is very worn, it appears to have once been decorated with two sets of crescent-shaped grooves, positioned on either side of the midpoint. The figurine has a crudely shaped head protruding from the apex of the shell, and four feet projecting from the sides. The left forelimb seems to have been broken away some time ago, leaving only a short stump. There is also a small tail on the lower edge. The underside of the shell is flat and does not appear to have been decorated.

Tortoises or turtles were most often associated with the god Mercury in the Roman world and Mercury is often found accompanied by turtles/tortoises in iconography. Mercury was the god of commerce, communication and travellers. A possible reason for the association with Mercury was that tortoise shells were used for making lyres, stringed musical instruments used in antiquity, the invention of which is attributed to Mercury in mythology. It may have been associated with Sabazios, too, a god of the Phrygians and Thracians.

Metal detectorists who report their finds to the Finds Recording Team have resulted in an increasing corpus of Roman turtle/tortoise figurines in recent years. Several similar figurines have also been recorded in Suffolk, near Barking, and near Little Blakenham by the Portable Antiquities Scheme over the years.

The wee tortoise was reported to the Suffolk Finds Liaison of the Portable Antiquities Scheme for documentation and has now been returned to the finder.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme is an initiative to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales.

Suffolk County Council

Cover image: Suffolk County Council

Related Articles

The 890-million-year-old sponge fossil may be the oldest animal yet discovered

1 August 2021

1 August 2021

890-million-year-old fossil sponges found in the “Little Dal” limestones of northwest Canada may be the oldest animal ever found. According...

Mysterious 1,600-Year-Old Roman-Era Burial Unearthed in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany

15 June 2025

15 June 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare and mysterious Roman-era burial in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany, revealing a unique glimpse into the region’s ancient...

Byzantine monk chained with iron rings unearthed near Jerusalem

4 January 2023

4 January 2023

A skeleton chained with iron rings was discovered at Khirbat el-Masani, about four kilometers northwest of Jerusalem, along the ancient...

Aldi construction uncovered Roman mosaic in UK

18 March 2023

18 March 2023

A team of Oxford Archaeology archaeologists discovered a Roman mosaic in the market town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Ahead of...

Hidden Treasure from the Thirty Years’ War: Rare Silver Coins Found in Copper Cauldron in Brandenburg

21 July 2025

21 July 2025

A rare archaeological discovery in Germany has captivated historians: Silver coins dating back to the early 17th century have been...

A Trove of ‘Exceptional’ stunningly preserved bronze statues found at an Ancient Thermal Spa in Tuscany, Italy

10 November 2022

10 November 2022

A group of Italian archaeologists made the discovery of 24 well-preserved bronze statues from an ancient thermal spring in Tuscany....

Ancient gypsum furniture was discovered in a fire temple in the ancient region of Vigol in Iran

1 June 2021

1 June 2021

Sets of gypsum furniture, including a carved table and chairs, were discovered during an archaeological dig in central Iran. According...

3,000-year-old Bronze Age Hoard Discovered During House Building Project in Scotland

31 July 2024

31 July 2024

Recent laboratory investigations of the Rosemarkie find, unearthed during the Black Isle housing development at Greenside in Rosemarkie, Highland Scotland,...

Mesopotamian bricks reveal the strength of Earth’s ancient magnetic field

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

Ancient Mesopotamian bricks reveal the details of a curious strengthening of the Earth’s magnetic field, according to a new study...

A new study reveals the Achaemenid Kingdom paid its workers silver

21 September 2021

21 September 2021

A new study on inscribed clay tablets that were used in the treasury archives of the Achaemenid Empire revealed that...

Fossils of sea creatures 35 million years old discovered in eastern Turkey

17 August 2021

17 August 2021

In Turkey’s eastern province of Mus, a team of researchers discovered fossils of sea creatures estimated to be 35 million...

The largest marine turtle fossil of its kind ever discovered in Europe unearthed in Spain

21 November 2022

21 November 2022

In northern Spain, scientists discovered the remains of a new species of enormous marine turtle. The prehistoric creature is the...

New Findings from 3,000-year-old Uluburun shipwreck: Uzbekistan Nomads Supplied a Third of the Bronze Used Across Ancient Mediterranean

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

A new study of the 3,o00 years old Uluburun shipwreck revealed a complex ancient trading network during the late bronze...

Mystery ax discovered off the coast of Arendal of Norway

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

Researchers have discovered a find that could be a first for Norwegian archeology. A hollow ax, which researchers believe dates...

Marvelous Marble Floor Of Sunken Roman Villa Restored in Bacoli

19 July 2024

19 July 2024

In Bacoli, Italy, an underwater restoration project has uncovered the marvelous marble floor of a submerged Roman villa. This remarkable...