Archaeologists have discovered a high status Roman villa in the Chalke Valley, located in Wiltshire, England.

The site was initially identified by detectorists, who reported finding Roman artefacts to the Portable Antiquities Scheme at Salisbury Museum.

This led to excavations over a two-week period which are part of a community project managed by Teffont Archaeology and supported by Cardiff University.

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According to a recent press statement, the project uncovered a villa complex over 35 metres in length, serving as the centre of a large agricultural estate during the late Roman period.

Alongside the main structure, the archaeologists found a bathhouse, a multi-story barn, and a concrete-floored building that might have served as an outdoor pool.

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Within the main villa building, excavations also revealed high status furnishings, such as high-quality mosaics with intricate geometric designs, and painted wall plaster and columns.

According to the archaeologists, these finds highlight the wealth and influence of the villa’s inhabitant, in an area thought to be scarce of major Roman development. The archaeological team will now work on analysing the finds from the site, and next year will give a range of talks locally about the results.