A banquetting set that once graced the table of a fine-dining Roman family has been unearthed, remarkably preserved, from the bottom of an excavated well.
Nothing of a similar size has ever been found before in the UK, and archaeologists hope it will help lift the lid on late Roman Britain.
The 19 metal vessels, made from copper alloy or lead alloy, date from between 330 and 380AD and were uncovered in central London, once the Roman city of Londinium.
They would have belonged to a wealthy family, as poorer inhabitants would have made do with wooden or ceramic kitchenwear.
Among the collection are a matching set of three bowls that nest together, buckets that were probably used to water down wine, a cauldron, jugs and a ladle.
Despite being 1,700 years old, the swinging handles on some of the artefacts are still in working condition.
The collection was yesterday hailed as "unprecedented".
It was found in August by astonished archaeologist Chris Jarrett, during the last week of a nine month dig at Drapers’ Gardens in London.
It is thought that the set may have been hidden by a wealthy family preparing to leave the city, which was under constant attack at the time, with a view to reclaiming it on their return.
Alternatively it could have been laid as an offering to water spirits when the well was closed up, as was Roman custom at the time.
Some of the items, such as shallow dishes or jugs, may have been used in religious ceremonies.
Mr Jarrett, who does not specialise in the Roman period, admitted: "I didn’t realise how important it was. It was only when I got to the pub afterwards and people were talking about it that I realised it was very important.
"At the time I was too busy trying to get everything out."
Site supervisor Neil Hawkins said: "I realised the significance straight away. There were about 40 or 50 people on the site and everyone just stopped working to watch these things coming out.
"First there was one, then two and eventually we uncovered the whole 19.
"There has never been a find like this in London, or really anywhere else in the UK.
"I could go the rest of my archaeological career and never find anything as important as this again."
The collection, from today on temporary display at the Museum of London, will early next year be studied by archaeologists hoping to glean clues on a period of late Roman history about which relatively little is known. Afterwards it is hoped it will be put on permanent display at the museum.
Museum curator Jenny Hall said: "These finds are amazing, I just couldn’t stop grinning when I first saw them.
"In size and scale they are simply unprecedented."
The collection has been valued at £25,000 but Mrs Hall said: "To us they are priceless."
The importance of the find lies in how remarkably preserved the objects are, a result of the watery conditions in which they were buried.
Few similar items have been uncovered from the late Roman period, a time of increasing hardship for beleaguered London inhabitants as the fortunes of the Empire dwindled.
The dig at Drapers’ Gardens was carried out prior to the construction of a 16-floor office and retail block, which will be finished by 2009.
The team from Pre-Construct Archaeology also found a Roman street, footbridges, infant burial sites, hundreds of brooches and even the skull of a brown bear that probably met its demise in a local amphitheatre.
