1700年前羅馬遺址出土的臭雞蛋散發(fā)出惡臭

1700年前羅馬遺址出土的臭雞蛋散發(fā)出惡臭

A Roman chicken has managed to offend the nostrils of a team of archaeologists in Buckinghamshire, England, after the eggs it laid 1,700 years ago cracked. Having spent much of ancient history rotting, the out-of-date eggs released what has been described as a “potent stench”, although on the plus side, they do make for fascinating relics.

英國白金漢郡的一隊考古學家日前在白金漢郡發(fā)現了一只“羅馬雞”，這只雞在1700年前產下的雞蛋竟然出現了裂縫。古代史上的大部分時間都在腐爛，過期的雞蛋散發(fā)出一種“強烈的惡臭”，盡管從好的方面來說，它們確實是令人著迷的遺跡。

Researchers carried out excavations at the site at Berryfields between 2007 and 2016, with the most interesting discoveries being found in a pit that had been dug by the side of a Roman road. Because the hole breached the water-table, much of it was waterlogged, and many of its submerged contents have remained remarkably well preserved.

研究人員于2007年至2016年間在Berryfields進行了發(fā)掘，最有趣的發(fā)現是在羅馬路邊挖的一個坑里發(fā)現的。因為這個洞突破了地下水位，很多地方都浸滿了水，很多水下的東西保存得非常好。

Dig project manager Stuart Foreman explained that “in a pit that has been waterlogged for thousands of years you get things that would never survive in a dry environment,” The Independent reports.

據《獨立報》報道，挖掘項目經理斯圖爾特·福爾曼(Stuart Foreman)解釋說，“在一個已經被水浸了幾千年的坑里，你得到的東西在干燥的環(huán)境里根本無法生存。”

In addition to objects such as leather shoes and a wooden basket, the team also discovered four chicken eggs. Unfortunately, three of the extremely fragile eggs broke while being retrieved from the pit, releasing a stink that had spent the past 1,700 years brewing.

除了皮鞋和木籃子等物品外，研究小組還發(fā)現了四個雞蛋。不幸的是，三個極其脆弱的雞蛋在從坑里撈出來的時候摔碎了，散發(fā)出一股1700年來一直在醞釀的臭味。

According to Oxford Archaeology, who conducted the dig, the pit was originally used for malting grain and brewing beer, but by the end of the third century had become something of a wishing well, where locals would throw offerings to the gods.

據主持此次挖掘的牛津考古學家稱，這個坑最初是用來釀造谷物和啤酒的，但到了三世紀末，它已經變成了許愿井，當地人會在那里向神靈供奉祭品。

These days, only an idiot would lob a bunch of eggs into a wishing well, but in Roman times eggs were imbued with all sorts of symbolic meanings, being associated with the gods Mithras and Mercury while also carrying connotations of rebirth and fertility.

如今，只有傻瓜才會往許愿井里扔一堆雞蛋，但在羅馬時代，雞蛋被賦予了各種各樣的象征意義，與密特拉和墨丘利有關，同時也承載著重生和生育的寓意。

Because of this, eggshells have previously been found in Roman graves, and its likely that the four eggs found at Berryfields were intended as some sort of gift for the gods.

正因為如此，以前在羅馬人的墳墓里發(fā)現過蛋殼，而在貝里菲爾德發(fā)現的四枚蛋很可能是上帝的禮物。

Luckily, one of the eggs was retrieved fully intact and will soon go on display at the Buckinghamshire County Museum.

幸運的是，其中一個完整的蛋被找回來了，很快將在白金漢郡博物館展出。