Chance find could change view of Roman Empire history

Oxford University professor Mark Merroney has made an archaeological discovery that challenges historians' understanding of the peace that existed between the Roman Empire and the Celts of Wales. The Guardian reported on excavations that Oxford's leading expert on the history of ancient Britain began at the site of a Roman fort found in the region.

The excavations are underway in Pembrokeshire, on the western tip of the Welsh peninsula. They began after the professor studied a road dating back to ancient Roman times. In a satellite image of the area, Merroni saw a field the size of a large fort, the kind the Romans typically built in England — 185 by 155 metres.

The scientist arrived at the site, started wandering around the field and found a piece of ancient roofing tiles that the Romans used to cover their buildings. "I picked up the find: absolute magnificence! I turned it upside down and saw under the diagonal line a place where a piece of roofing tiles had once been cut to fit the next one," the professor marveled in a conversation with journalists.

A local farmer who owned the field told Merroni that it contained many similar shards, including some with chisel marks and cuts. The protruding stones from the fortifications and the abundance of slate made farming difficult, so the fields were fenced off for pasture in the 19th century and preserved.

The characteristics of the wooden fortress meet, according to the historian, “all the requirements of a Roman fort”: the shape of a rectangular playing card with rounded corners, a huge ditch around the perimeter, a counterscarp outside the ditch and an escarp (base for a rampart) inside. About 500 soldiers could be inside at one time. There are two water sources nearby. “The fort is strategically located on a hillside with a beautiful view of the river valley, as is often the case,” the Oxford scientist described the find.

The fortifications date back to the 1st to 3rd centuries AD, when the Celtic tribe of Demetae inhabited the south-west of what is now Wales. They were believed to be allies of Rome, meaning there was no need to build fortifications or station troops there, Merroney told the Guardian. However, the fort that was discovered contradicts this assertion. Moreover, this is the second fort to be found on the peninsula. In 2013, a fort of similar size was discovered 150 kilometers from the Welsh capital, Cardiff. “We now have to admit that the region was not peaceful and loyal,” the scientist concluded. “The ancient Romans struck at local tribes with an iron fist.”

This is an incredible find of national significance and the remains of the fortress will be declared a historical monument, the Oxford professor assured in a conversation with a Guardian journalist.

Mark Merroney is the founder and editor-in-chief of Antiqvvs, a magazine devoted to archaeology, ancient art and history. In 2022, Merroney was the first to report on the discovery of a Roman road in southern Pembrokeshire. The discovery, he said, disproved the idea that the Romans did not go far into Wales.

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