"Almost unbelievable" return of stolen Roman head surprises staff at Vindolanda

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

"Almost unbelievable" return of Roman head ends four-month search in Northumberland

A stone fragment of the head of a young male, stolen from Roman Vindolanda in Northumberland in the first theft at the site for 45 years, has been quietly returned four months later – to the “huge delight” of curators.

The statuesque artefact went missing when it was forcibly wrenched from the Legacy in Stone display during the Vindolanda museum’s opening hours on June 5. Organisers say it was “discretely” and “unobtrusively” placed at the doorway of a site excavation building last Friday, where a member of the archaeological team found it.

“It was a slightly surreal moment,” admits Lauren Wilkinson, of the Vindolanda Trust which had appealed for its return.

“After it was stolen we all thought that was it and we would never see it again.

“So to be staring right at it, propped up against the excavation tool shed, was almost unbelievable.”

Museum staff said they had been left “deeply saddened” by the theft.

“We can only assume that the person who took the object had a change of heart,” says Wilkinson.

“They have done the right thing by returning it to Vindolanda.

“We are extremely thankful to be reunited with this object and it will soon be returned to the museum display for all to enjoy.”

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Three places to discover the Romans in

Senhouse Roman Museum, Cumbria
Dramatically sited on cliffs overlooking Maryport harbour and the Scottish coast, this unique and award-winning Museum is next to the site of the Roman fort built at the centre of Hadrian's coastal defences on the Solway.

Bignor Roman Villa, West Sussex
The stunning remains of a Roman home and farm with world-class mosaic floors in a spectacular Downland setting. Learn why the Roman owners chose to develop such a magnificent settlement at Bignor in the 3rd Century AD and how they acquired wealth from its location.

National Roman Legion Museum, Newport
Learn what made the Romans a formidable force by seeing how they lived, slept and ate, marched and practised for battle, worshipped gods and treasured jewels.

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art539354-roman-male-statue-head-vindolanda-museum-return-northumberland