12:42pm Tuesday 27th October 2009
By Naomi Loomes
A fragment from a statue found at the site of a Roman villa in West Sussex is believed to be what remains of only one of three in the world depicting the Emperor Nero, experts have said.
Part of the statue's head was discovered when Fishbourne Roman Palace, near Chichester, was first excavated in the 1960s but was previously thought to be a likeness of a child who once lived there.
However archaeologists who created a 3D profile of the head using laser scanning techniques on the remaining fragment now believe it to have been a statue of Nero as a teenager after he was named as heir to the throne.
Fishbourne Roman Palace director Christine Medlock said the discovery was "fantastic news" and led to the question of whether Nero had personal links to the villa.
The fifth and last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he ruled from AD54 to 68, when he was disgraced and committed suicide.
Ms Medlock said all memorabilia concerning him was destroyed following his death, which is why only two other statues of him remain in the world.
These are preserved in the Museo Nazionale d'Antichita in Parma and the Musee du Louvre in Paris, both of which are said to match the features of the head found at Fishbourne.
Archaeologist Dr Miles Russell, who conducted the research, said: "The scan has given us a more complete picture of the missing parts of the face which confirms our theory that this is a depiction of Nero.
"This is exciting as it indicates that there may have been links between the Chichester area and one of the most famous Roman emperors of all time."
Fishbourne Roman Palace is one of the most important Roman villa sites in the country and features more than 20 mosaic floors, the largest collection in Britain. It is open to the public on certain days throughout the year.
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