AN ANCIENT statue of a boy's head is very likely a depiction of one of the most hated Roman Emperors, scientists have revealed.
The breakthrough discovery at Fishbourne Roman Palace has amazed archaeologists and could rewrite history.
Scientists believe the statue unearthed at the palace depicts Emperor Nero as a young boy.
It would make it one of just three surviving p
ieces of its kind in the world.
Nero, who committed suicide in 68AD, had a reputation as an ineffectual, neglectful and brutal leader.
He was declared an enemy of the state after he was pushed from power in a military coup and images of him were ordered destroyed.
According to ancient historians, Nero was the emperor who 'fiddled while Rome burned' during the city's great fire in 64AD and ordered the deaths of his mother, stepfather and pregnant wife, among others, to keep his grip on power.
Dr Rob Symmons, curator of archaeology at Fishbourne, joined forces with Bournemouth University lecturers Dr Miles Russell and Harry Manley to run sophisticated laser scans on the head and recreate damaged parts of the face.
The scan convinced them it was indeed Nero, the emperor against whose regime the Celtic Queen Boudicca led her famous revolt.
The statue was discovered in 1964, but it was always believed to be that of a king called Togidubnus or a member of his family. Scientists say the boy's head, with its rounded cheeks and full, curving lips, slightly protruding ears, curling locks of hair and almond-shaped eyes, almost exactly matches the features of the young Nero on display in Parma and Paris.
Dr Russell said: 'The scan has given us a more complete picture of the missing parts of the face which confirms our theory that this is a depiction of Nero. This is exciting as it indicates that there may have been links between the Chichester area and one of the most famous Roman emperors of all time.'
Dr Symmons added: 'First impressions indicate that this is a portrait of Nero as a boy, which is very exciting as it is only one of three of its kind in the world.'
Scientists are now hoping to recreate a 3D model for the museum to show what the original statue would have looked like.
Christine Medlock, director at Fishbourne Roman Palace, said the boy's face could have come from a larger monument, which was beheaded and mutilated by locals following the disgraced emperor's death in 68AD.
'That was the tradition in the Roman world,' she said.
'They were looking to eradicate them from history which is why these finds are so rare.'
There is no evidence, however, that Nero visited Fishbourne.
But Mrs Medlock added: 'It's extremely significant in terms of archaeological interest. It would be the only statue of him as a youth.
'That's intriguing in itself. Why would there be an image of a young Nero rather than Emperor Nero?'
