Independent archeology practice Oxford Archaeology recently shared news about a stunning discovery they made at a Roman site in the town of Aylesbury, England. Their archeologists uncovered an egg that was 1,700 years old but still had its yolk and whites.
As it turns out, the Oxford Archaeology team found a wooden basket during excavations at the site several years ago. The basket contained four eggs, three of which were destroyed during unearthing. The fourth egg survived and was sent to be scanned with X-rays at the University of Kent.
The scan showed that the contents of the egg were still inside.
“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. -as well as an air bubble,” Edward Biddulph of Oxford Archaeology told Live Science.
The egg was found in a pit dated to the 3rd century A.D., for which archeologists believe it was used as some sort of wishing well. Besides the basket, various other items from the era, like shoes, vessels, and tools, were discovered.
The egg is currently housed in the Aylesbury Museum and is set to be the subject of further research. The scientists are now looking for a way to extract its contents without disturbing the shell.