A Roman sea god statue had its head cut off during a ritual burial, historians have uncovered.

The effigy of Triton was dug up off the A2 in Teynham in September last year but a study has now revealed that it had been decapitated and possibly burnt on a pyre before it was buried.

The ancient artefact was found during an investigative dig at the site for the new Frognal Lane housing estate which is off the Romann built Watling Street.

It is based on the son of the Roman god of the sea Neptune and is believed to be more than 1,700 years old.

Following an initial site evaluation, which uncovered fragments of chalk wall foundations and Roman cremation burials, a further excavation led to the discovery.

Archaeologists also found evidence of a Roman tomb containing a Roman coin dating back to c.320 to 330 AD.

The historians who penned the study on the structure labelled the find “the most significant and exciting discoveries to have emerged from Roman Britain in recent times”.

In their work, authors Richard Helm, Richard Hobbs, Kevin Hayward, Robert Masefield and John Pearce, say the statue was “ritually killed” with its head cut off as well as its right hand – which was not recovered during the dig.

They also believe it was “cleansed” by being burnt on a pyre before it was then buried face down.

But the history experts remain unsure why such a ritual took place and who conducted it.

What they have been able to gather is that it was “respectfully” buried which they suggest may have been a “ceremonial” end of the god’s influence as an active religious icon.

They also say the damage could have been caused by Christians during a period of iconoclasm – the religiously motivated destruction of works of art.

However, this is not an entirely convincing theory, they say, as there is evidence of sculptures being dismantled in Britain throughout the Roman period.

They concluded: “Without more specific evidence, why the funerary monument was dismantled and the triton statue treated in this manner is currently unclear.”

What will happen to the statute now is still yet to be determined by Chartway Group, which owns the land where it was found.

Julian Moat, Planning Director at Chartway Group, says the study marks another “important and exciting” chapter in the story of the Triton.

He said: “We are committed to ensuring that the unearthed artefacts are preserved and protected, recognising their significant archaeological importance.”

The study, published by Cambridge University Press is publicly accessible.

Kent has rich Roman roots with the county being the landing spot for Emperor Claudius’ invasion of Britain more than 2,000 years ago.

This force, which was 40,000 strong, first arrived at Richborough, near Sandwich, in 43 AD which at that time was a small island.

It became the location of a large fortification, discovered by archaeologists in the 1920s.

A reconstructed gatehouse, run by English Heritage, opened to visitors in April 2023 at what is seen in historical circles as a highly significant site.

The Romans engaged in a major battle as they tried to cross the River Medway which has been described as a “sliding doors moment”, by a leading historian.

Dr Simon Elliott told KentOnline that if the Romans had lost, they would have “gone home and licked their wounds and not bothered invading Britain again.”

However, the three-day bloodbath which involved tens of thousands of men locked in a brutal hand-to-hand combat ended with the legionaries victorious.

Following the invasion, the Romans developed Watling Street, the first major road they built. It ran from Richborough to north Wales.

Today, the A2 roughly follows the same course as Watling Street and in parts is still known by that name including in Strood and along the A2 dual carriageway stretch between the Medway Towns and Ebbsfleet.

It linked key towns such as London and Chester.