LONDON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Experts believe rare Roman remains uncovered in northern England may be the first of their kind to be seen anywhere in the former Roman Empire.
Historic England confirmed Thursday it is to recommend to the government that the remains, found at Scarborough in North Yorkshire, be protected as a nationally important scheduled monument.
That would ensure the site, buried for centuries, is preserved for future generations.
The discovery was made by archaeologists excavating the site of a new housing development.
The housing company Keepmoat Homes has redesigned its project to conserve the historic remains.
Historic England said during the course of the excavations it became clear Roman archaeological remains unearthed were far more significant than anticipated.
The excavations revealed a large complex of buildings including a circular central room with a number of rooms leading off it, as well as a bath house.
"Archaeologists believe the remains are likely to represent a high-status luxury Roman villa or religious sanctuary, or perhaps a combination of both," said Historic England.
"This type of building layout has never been seen before in Britain and could even be the first of its kind to be discovered within the whole former Roman Empire," Historic England added.
Keith Emerick, inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England, said: "These archaeological remains are a fantastic find and are far more than we ever dreamed of discovering at this site. They are already giving us a better knowledge and understanding of Roman Britain."
North Yorkshire County Council director Karl Battersby said: "This is a remarkable discovery which adds to the story of Roman settlement in North Yorkshire. Work by North Yorkshire archaeologists has already established the buildings were designed by the highest quality architects in Northern Europe in the era and constructed by the finest craftsmen."
"Because of the significance of this, it is excellent to see that the layout of the new housing has been redesigned so this important part of our history can be preserved. There will be further work on the finds and environmental samples to try to establish exactly what this enigmatic site was and why it was created so far from other Roman centers." Enditem
