A mosaic depicting scenes from Homer's Iliad has been found in a Roman villa complex.
The mosaic is the largest of its kind in Britain.
Jim Irvine found pottery shards on his father's farm while taking a stroll during the UK's first lockdown in 2020.
Irvine told the i newspaper that he noticed bits of pottery, oyster shells, and orange Roman roof tiles.
When I got home, I noticed a crop mark on the field that we'd never noticed before, because I knew they had no business being there.
A member of the team from ULAS/University ofLeicester is working on a mosaic pavement.
The archive of historic England.
Irvine bought a spade and began digging. The red hat of King Priam is depicted in the mosaic and is a character from Homer's epic poem.
I knew there would be something to find because of the crop mark. Irvine told the i that he never expected a mosaic to be as special as this.
Irvine contacted local authorities after discovering the mosaic.
The site was excavated by archaeologists from the University of Leicester.
The mosaic was part of an elaborate villa complex, which held several other buildings.
The team said that a wealthy Roman with a knowledge of classic literature lived in the villa.
Researchers said that the artwork forms the floor of a large dining area and depicted scenes of the story of the Greek hero.
The mosaic has a bottom panel. The two men were duelling on chariots.
The University of Leicester has an archaeological service.
They said that the mosaic in the Rutland building features the battle between Achilles and Hector in the Trojan War, which is unique to the Roman Empire.
John Thomas, deputy director of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services and project manager on the excavations, said that this is the most exciting Roman mosaic discovery in the UK in the last century.
It gives us fresh perspectives on the attitudes of people at the time, their links to classical literature, and it also tells us an enormous amount about the individual who commissioned this piece.
The first depiction of these stories that we've ever found in Britain was created by someone with a knowledge of the classics.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport has protected the site as a scheduled monument and further excavations are planned for 2022.
Richard Clark said, "This has been the most extraordinary discoveries, and for that, full tribute must be paid to Jim and his family for their prompt and responsible actions."
