Archaeologists excavating the site of a major Roman temple in London have found a sealed box containing a white cream still bearing the fingermarks of the person who last used it, nearly 2,000 years ago. "This is of major significance," said Museum of London curator Francis Grew Monday. The substance, which will now be chemically analyzed, could be face cream or even face paint, he told reporters. "We are in completely uncharted territory here. Not only is the quality of workmanship of the box exceptional, but to find one in such good condition still sealed and with its original contents will raise huge interest around the world," he added. Museum conservator Liz Barham who opened the fist-sized cylindrical tin box for the first time Monday, in front of the world's media, described the smell from the half-full container as "sulphurous" and "cheesy."

The box was found at the bottom of a ditch on the edge of the site of the temple next to the merging of two major roads into Roman London -- Watling Street from the port of Dover and Stane Street from the garrison town of Chichester.

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It looks pretty clean and new . Maybe I'm just being fussy but shouldn't the jar look a little more worn ?

Tt depends how it was preserved, iand what it is made of.

If the find is made of metal it would corrode easily if the ground was wet, if wood, then also if it was wet.

It would have had to remain dry but cool, to have remained in such a perfect condition for that length of time.

that is really cool. the person's fingerprints are still in it. just think, someday someone could find something you've been using and make a huge fuss about it because its 2000 years old


just think how funny this would be if they deciphered writing on the side of the tin and its said the equivalent of 'Preparation H'

lol @ DS!!!

haha. yeah, and it goes into a museum and all! Come one, come all, and see Caesar's butt salve! God, I'm so immature!