Woman discovers slab she used to climb onto horses is actually a Roman engraving worth nearly $20k

  • 16 Jan - 22 Jan, 2021
  • Mag The Weekly
  • Mag Files

An English woman unknowingly discovered a piece of history in her garden – and archeologists believe it's worth up to $20,000. The marble slab was first found about 20 years ago in the southern England village of Whiteparish, according to a press release from Woolley and Wallis, the auction house that is now selling the historical rock. For almost 10 years, the woman had been using the intricate slab as a horse mounting block in her stable. It wasn't until she noticed a wreath carved into its surface that she decided to take the slab to an archeologist, who determined that the rock likely dates back to second century AD with possible origins in either Greece or Asia Minor, the release stated. "Artifacts of this type often came into England as the result of Grand Tours in the late 18th and 19th century, when wealthy aristocrats would tour Europe learning about Classical art and culture,” Woolley and Wallis' Antiquities specialist, Will Hobbs, explained in a statement. Despite knowing how the slab may have entered the United Kingdom, Hobbs said it was still "a complete mystery" as to how it ended up in a domestic garden in Whiteparish and called on the public for their help. As officials look to gather more information, the auction house confirmed that the rock is expected to be sold at Woolley and Wallis in Salisbury at a later date. It currently holds a pre-sale estimate value of £10,000-15,000 ($13,564-$20,346 USD), the press release stated.

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