Emily Chan
The remains of an ancient Roman fort that once housed hundreds of soldiers was found by an archaeologist named Mark Merrony. The fort was located in Pembrokeshire, a county in southeast Wales.
In the first century, the Roman Empire conquered most of Britain, including Wales. Celtic peoples inhabited the conquered territory, which became the Roman province of Britannia. The Roman occupation lasted until the fifth century.
During the conquest, the Romans built military structures across Britain. Before the most recent discovery, the presence of only one other fort had been recorded in Pembrokeshire. The area has largely been ignored by archaeologists, so the new fort is an “extraordinary” and well-preserved find.
“[The discovery] indicates that west Wales was fully integrated into Roman Britain and also casts fresh light on Roman relations with the indigenous Celtic Demetae tribe, about whom little is known from written and archaeological sources,” Merrony said.
“It was previously thought that they coexisted peacefully, but the presence of a second fort in the area indicates a strong military presence and an iron fist Roman imperial policy.”
Merrony came across the fort after detecting a previously unknown Roman road. The road had stood out to him for a while because of its unusual straightness. He spotted what appeared to be a fort through satellite imagery.
As a native of Pembrokeshire, he feels a deep connection to the area. The site contains ditches, banks, and rounded corners — all features of a classic Roman fort. A large number of triangular Roman roofing slates were also identified.
“The fort has a massive ditch, which seems to be a double or triple ditch in places, and the fortifications are constructed of huge stones in places as well as earth, which is typical,” Merrony said.
The fort is approximately 607 by 509 feet and likely housed around 500 soldiers (auxiliaries) who were recruited mainly from the population of free provincial subjects without Roman citizenship. The size of the fort roughly lined up with others in Roman Britain.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
