A previously unknown Roman fort, hidden beneath an overgrown field in Pembrokeshire, Wales is a groundbreaking discovery. It puts into question the long-held beliefs about Celtic-Roman relations in the area, and suggests a far more militarised presence in the region than previously believed.
Dr. Mark Merrony, a Roman specialist at Oxford University, uncovered the ‘humongous fort’ hidden beneath an overgrown field. Stumbling upon the site while investigating a particularly straight road that piqued his curiosity, his discovery challenges the prevailing theory of a peaceful coexistence between the Celtic and Roman populations when the Celtic Demetae tribe inhabited the south-west area of modern Wales.
The fort, dating back to the 1st to 3rd centuries, is remarkably well-preserved and offers valuable insights into Roman military strategy and the complex dynamics between Roman conquerors and indigenous tribes. The fort's strategic location, large size, and Roman architectural features all point to a significant military installation and contradicts the idea that the local Celtic Demetae tribe peacefully coexisted with Roman invaders.
"I now don't think they [the Demetae tribe] were pro-Roman at all,” Merrony suggests, but that the Romans were hitting the area with an iron fist,” he told The Guardian.
The discovery includes evidence of Roman roofing slates and a previously unknown Roman road and Merrony estimates the fort could have housed around 500 soldiers.
This find, along with another fort excavated at Wiston near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in 2013, indicates a stronger Roman military presence in West Wales than historians assumed.
Measuring about 185 by 155 metres, the fort’s footprint was preserved because of the parliamentary Enclosures Act in the area during the 19th century, which ‘enclosed’ areas of common land with banks, hedges and walls.
The site's exact location remains undisclosed to protect it from potential looters and Merrony's discovery highlights the need for further archaeological exploration in the region, as he believes more Roman structures may be waiting to be unearthed.
We grabbed five minutes with Dr Mark Merrony to find out more about his discovery, what impact he thinks it will have on Roman history, and why everyone should study archeology:
What was your first reaction when you realised you had found a Roman fort?
When you are passionate about something, as I am with Roman archaeology and history, the excitement generated by a discovery like this is hard to express, but it also gives rise to mixed feelings. There is always the possibility that I could be wrong.
I finally muttered to myself ‘pull yourself together’ and took the plunge so to speak, and the site surpassed my expectations.
I had scrutinized the discovery from my desk, and my head and heart said that I had found something extra special. Yet, being a self-critical professional, when I drove to the site for the first time, I ended up sitting in a café for an hour before I got there in case it was not what I had anticipated. I finally muttered to myself ‘pull yourself together’ and took the plunge so to speak, and the site surpassed my expectations.
Given the sheer scale of this fort, are there any unique architectural elements or artefacts found at this site that differ from other Roman forts in Britain?
It is a curious site from an archetypical Roman fort perspective, in that it is rectangular with rounded corners, two of which are wonderfully intact, one more or less so, the other has been transformed by modern land reuse.
However, it also differs in that it does not have four opposing entrances, although a number in Britain lack this feature, as in the case of the other fort found at Wiston in Pembrokeshire. This is because it sits bang next to what is almost certainly a Roman road, so it was entered and exited from this axis, and there is clearly another entrance on its northern side. Its design may have been influenced by several factors, not least topographical considerations.
Regional availability of materials also plays a role here. People often think of Roman buildings that are roofed with Mediterranean style pantiles. Structures in many parts of Wales are covered with slates, so they differ in this way, as in the case of some forts in Scotland that have roofs lined with shale.
Survey and excavation are of course key here in terms of defining exactly what this site is. It may well turn out to have had a relatively short-lived military presence and became transformed into a civilian complex. This should become clearer in October when we have completed a comprehensive round of geophysical surveys.
I have looked carefully at its form and have discounted a complex belonging to the Iron Age. There are no sites like this in the early or later medieval periods. Then I thought perhaps it could be post-medieval, but I do not know of any complexes of this character that belong to that period.
Do you think your discovery will change how we teach history in schools?
My discovery may well inform how Romano-British history is taught in schools for at least two reasons.
We should bear in mind that some experts have – and will – inevitably challenge my interpretation that this site is a Roman fort, but it is important to stress that present opinions of this nature are based on a lack of evidence from their perspective, simply because I have not been able to disclose all the data that I have for fear of revealing the location of the site, at least for the time being. I could of course simply be wrong! I have recently confided these details to an expert on forts in Roman Scotland who is excited by this project based on the data that I have shown him.
My discovery may well inform how Romano-British history is taught in schools for at least two reasons.
First, the Roman conquest of Wales was complete. The perception remains that the invaders did not reach the south-west of Wales. This is based on an ill-informed and circular argument that goes back to the Regency period and ignores the widespread use of Roman ports for commercial and strategic reasons that would have certainly encompassed the region.
Second, it may change our perception of Roman relations with the Celtic Demetae tribe in the region, who are scarcely mentioned by Roman writers. It is generally considered that this interaction was peaceful. The only other fort in the county at Wiston appears to have become a civilian site within a relatively short period of time.
The discovery of what appears to be a second example either suggests that the region was hostile or, if it rapidly metamorphosed into a civilian site, that the area was pacified, and Romano-Celtic relations were cordial thereafter. That stated, I think that more forts await discovery, and the picture may well support this suggestion one way or another.
And finally, what advice would you give to young people interested in archaeology?
Follow your heart and your dream! If you wish to study archaeology as a university undergraduate and move onto a different career, then it is an incredibly broad degree that will provide a brilliant platform for your future aspirations in the same way as people who study classics and history and move on to great things.
If you wish to study archaeology and make it your vocation, then many will tell you that there is little money to be made, and it is rather niche. In truth, there are manifold possibilities: one can work as a field archaeologist, a consultant in that sphere, a scientific specialist, pursue a more art-historical path, make a career from writing, or continue as a postgraduate and teach. The possibilities are enormous, not least because archaeology has many component parts.
Dr Mark Merrony studied Archaeology at Saint Davids University College Lampeter in Wales, and Classical Archaeology at Wolfson College and Somerville College at the University of Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a Fellow at Wolfson. He is editor-in-chief at Antiqvvs Magazine.
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