Rare 1,700-year-old Roman egg with completely intact liquid found

The scientists discovered the world's first intact chicken egg, which was estimated to be around 1,700 years old, and still had the liquid inside it.

The egg was discovered by scientists during an excavation in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire between 2007 and 2016, as the researchers said that at the time it was a “genuinely unique discovery”.

In the course of the excavation, three eggs were broken by the archaeologists and they released a “potent stench”, however, a fourth egg remained intact.

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Oxford Archaeology's experts said that the waterlogged pit is likely to have been used like a Roman wishing well.

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Now, in a micro scan, the scientists have discovered that the egg is still filled with yolk and egg white and is likely to be the only intact egg which has survived the period.

Oxford Archaeology's senior project manager Edward Biddulph, who oversaw the excavation, said: "We were absolutely blown away when we saw the contents in there, as we might have expected them to have leached out."

Scientists try to find way to extract liquid from egg

Conservator Dana Goodburn-Brown, who had taken the egg for further analysis at the University of Kent, carried out the recent work.

"It produced an amazing image that indicated that the egg, apart from being intact - which is incredible enough - also retained its liquid inside, presumably deriving from the yolk, albumen etc," said Biddulph.

The egg was also taken to London’s Natural History Museum and the experts consulted Douglas Russell, the senior curator of the museum’s birds, eggs and nests collection, regarding the best ways to conserve the egg and remove its contents.

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"As we found out when we visited the Natural History Museum, [it] appears to be the oldest known example in the world," said Biddulph.

The archaeologist has accepted that it was "a bit daunting walking around London with a 2,000-year-old egg".

"And it was a bit hairy on the Tube - although it was well protected - it’s not like I was carrying it around in my pocket," they added.

The egg is now being kept at Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury as the work to find the best method for extracting the inside liquid without breaking the shell continues.

"There is huge potential for further scientific research and this is the next stage in the life of this remarkable egg,” said Biddulph.

(With inputs from agencies)