ramonmercado
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Hoard of Roman coins found near Roman Baths in Bath
More than 30,000 Roman coins have been found by archaeologists working on the site of a new hotel in Bath.
The silver coins are believed to date from 270AD and are being described as the fifth largest hoard ever found.
They were discovered by archaeologists working 150 metres from the historic Roman Baths.
The coins are fused together and have been sent to the British Museum. Conservators are expected to take at least a year to work through them.
A campaign has been started by officials at the Roman Baths to try to raise £150,000 to acquire and display the collection which has become known as the Beau Street Hoard.
The size of the hoard found in Bath is not as large as the Frome Hoard in April 2010 when more than 53,500 coins were discovered by metal detectorist Dave Crisp near Frome in Somerset.
The coins found in this hoard date from a similar time and are thought to be the largest ever discovered in a Roman town in the UK.
Roman Baths spokesman Stephen Clews said the find had been declared treasure trove.
"We've put in a request for a formal valuation and then hope to buy the coins to display them at the baths.
"At the time there was a lot of unrest in the Roman Empire so there may be some explanation for why the coins were hidden away.
"The find is also unusual as it was discovered by professional archaeologists as opposed to an amateur using a metal detector," he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17480016
More than 30,000 Roman coins have been found by archaeologists working on the site of a new hotel in Bath.
The silver coins are believed to date from 270AD and are being described as the fifth largest hoard ever found.
They were discovered by archaeologists working 150 metres from the historic Roman Baths.
The coins are fused together and have been sent to the British Museum. Conservators are expected to take at least a year to work through them.
A campaign has been started by officials at the Roman Baths to try to raise £150,000 to acquire and display the collection which has become known as the Beau Street Hoard.
The size of the hoard found in Bath is not as large as the Frome Hoard in April 2010 when more than 53,500 coins were discovered by metal detectorist Dave Crisp near Frome in Somerset.
The coins found in this hoard date from a similar time and are thought to be the largest ever discovered in a Roman town in the UK.
Roman Baths spokesman Stephen Clews said the find had been declared treasure trove.
"We've put in a request for a formal valuation and then hope to buy the coins to display them at the baths.
"At the time there was a lot of unrest in the Roman Empire so there may be some explanation for why the coins were hidden away.
"The find is also unusual as it was discovered by professional archaeologists as opposed to an amateur using a metal detector," he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17480016
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Not strictly Britain, but close enough! 
Roman and Celtic coin hoard found in Jersey
One of Europe's largest hoards of Iron Age coins has been unearthed in Jersey, according to an expert.
The Roman and Celtic coins, which date from the 1st Century BC, were found by two metal detector enthusiasts.
Dr Philip de Jersey, a former Celtic coin expert at Oxford University, said the haul was "extremely exciting and very significant".
The hoard is likely to be worth millions of pounds with each individual coin worth between £100 and £200.
The exact number of coins found has not been established but archaelogists said the hoard weighed about half a tonne. :shock:
The exact location of the hoard has not been revealed by the authorities.
It was found by Reg Mead and Richard Miles in a field in the east of Jersey.
They had been searching for more than 30 years after hearing rumours that a farmer had discovered silver coins while working on his land.
Mr Mead and Mr Miles worked with experts from Jersey Heritage to slowly unearth the treasure.
A large mound of clay containing the coins has now been taken to the Jersey archive centre to be examined.
It is the first hoard of coins found in the island for more than 60 years.
Several hoards of Celtic coins have been found in Jersey before but the largest was in 1935 at La Marquanderie when more than 11,000 were discovered.
Dr de Jersey said it would take months for archaelogists to find out the full value of the haul.
He said: "It is extremely exciting and very significant. It will add a huge amount of new information, not just about the coins themselves but the people who were using them.
"Most archaeologist with an interest in coins spend their lives in libraries writing about coins and looking at pictures of coins.
"For me as an archaeologist, with an interest in coins, to actually go out and excavate one in a field, most of us never get that opportunity. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The ownership of the coins is unclear. Mr Mead said he had asked the States of Jersey for clarification.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-18579868
Two 'name' coincidences in this story: the coins were discovered by two men with the initials RM; and Dr de Jersey got to go to Jersey to help uncover them! 8)
Roman and Celtic coin hoard found in Jersey
One of Europe's largest hoards of Iron Age coins has been unearthed in Jersey, according to an expert.
The Roman and Celtic coins, which date from the 1st Century BC, were found by two metal detector enthusiasts.
Dr Philip de Jersey, a former Celtic coin expert at Oxford University, said the haul was "extremely exciting and very significant".
The hoard is likely to be worth millions of pounds with each individual coin worth between £100 and £200.
The exact number of coins found has not been established but archaelogists said the hoard weighed about half a tonne. :shock:
The exact location of the hoard has not been revealed by the authorities.
It was found by Reg Mead and Richard Miles in a field in the east of Jersey.
They had been searching for more than 30 years after hearing rumours that a farmer had discovered silver coins while working on his land.
Mr Mead and Mr Miles worked with experts from Jersey Heritage to slowly unearth the treasure.
A large mound of clay containing the coins has now been taken to the Jersey archive centre to be examined.
It is the first hoard of coins found in the island for more than 60 years.
Several hoards of Celtic coins have been found in Jersey before but the largest was in 1935 at La Marquanderie when more than 11,000 were discovered.
Dr de Jersey said it would take months for archaelogists to find out the full value of the haul.
He said: "It is extremely exciting and very significant. It will add a huge amount of new information, not just about the coins themselves but the people who were using them.
"Most archaeologist with an interest in coins spend their lives in libraries writing about coins and looking at pictures of coins.
"For me as an archaeologist, with an interest in coins, to actually go out and excavate one in a field, most of us never get that opportunity. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The ownership of the coins is unclear. Mr Mead said he had asked the States of Jersey for clarification.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-18579868
Two 'name' coincidences in this story: the coins were discovered by two men with the initials RM; and Dr de Jersey got to go to Jersey to help uncover them! 8)
ramonmercado
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ramonmercado
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Roman marble coffin sells for £96,000
A Roman marble coffin has sold at auction for £96,000.
The 7ft (2.1m) sarcophagus was being used as a trough to stand flowers in in the garden of a house in Dorset, where its significance was recognised by Guy Schwinge, a Dorchester auction valuer.
Mr Schwinge described how he spotted the coffin "peeping out from under some bushes" during a routine valuation.
"As I drew closer I realised I was looking at a Roman sarcophagus of exceptional quality," he said.
Mr Schwinge, of Duke's in Dorchester, discovered the family had acquired the sarcophagus almost 100 years ago at auction.
An auction catalogue from 1913 shows the coffin was imported to Britain by Queen Victoria's surveyor of pictures, Sir John Robinson, who lived at Newton Manor in Swanage, Dorset.
"When I saw the name Duke's on the front (of the catalogue) I couldn't believe it," Mr Schwinge said.
The rectangular sarcophagus is carved from fine quality white marble, said a spokesman for Duke's, who sold the coffin for a second time.
The quality of the carving suggests it was made for a high status individual.
Experts from the British Museum have estimated the sarcophagus dates from the 2nd Century.
The owners were "utterly delighted" with the sale, Duke's said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-19878090
A Roman marble coffin has sold at auction for £96,000.
The 7ft (2.1m) sarcophagus was being used as a trough to stand flowers in in the garden of a house in Dorset, where its significance was recognised by Guy Schwinge, a Dorchester auction valuer.
Mr Schwinge described how he spotted the coffin "peeping out from under some bushes" during a routine valuation.
"As I drew closer I realised I was looking at a Roman sarcophagus of exceptional quality," he said.
Mr Schwinge, of Duke's in Dorchester, discovered the family had acquired the sarcophagus almost 100 years ago at auction.
An auction catalogue from 1913 shows the coffin was imported to Britain by Queen Victoria's surveyor of pictures, Sir John Robinson, who lived at Newton Manor in Swanage, Dorset.
"When I saw the name Duke's on the front (of the catalogue) I couldn't believe it," Mr Schwinge said.
The rectangular sarcophagus is carved from fine quality white marble, said a spokesman for Duke's, who sold the coffin for a second time.
The quality of the carving suggests it was made for a high status individual.
Experts from the British Museum have estimated the sarcophagus dates from the 2nd Century.
The owners were "utterly delighted" with the sale, Duke's said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-19878090
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Bit of a mystery.
ramonmercado
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ramonmercado
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This sounds interesting: today on C4:
Time Team
Channel 4, 5:25pm to 6:25pm
Series 21, Episode 1
Archaeology series. Tony Robinson and the team explore a spectacular site at Brancaster in Norfolk, which is believed to have been a Roman 'shore-fort'. The experts hope excavations will determine how large it was, what it looked like and whether it was one of the key military outposts of Roman Britain. As the Team search for answers they stumble on thousands of finds, including a legionary's armour in a previously hidden chamber. The Team also take on a high-definition geophysics survey covering 24 acres.
Time Team
Channel 4, 5:25pm to 6:25pm
Series 21, Episode 1
Archaeology series. Tony Robinson and the team explore a spectacular site at Brancaster in Norfolk, which is believed to have been a Roman 'shore-fort'. The experts hope excavations will determine how large it was, what it looked like and whether it was one of the key military outposts of Roman Britain. As the Team search for answers they stumble on thousands of finds, including a legionary's armour in a previously hidden chamber. The Team also take on a high-definition geophysics survey covering 24 acres.
Source: http://www.catholic.org/international/i ... p?id=49372
Oh wow - their backsides must have been a lot tougher than ours! :shock:
Mythopoeika
I am a meat popsicle
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People in many parts of rural Africa use small pebbles, if they can't find any suitable leaves.
LordRsmacker
Abominable Snowman
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Mythopoeika said:
Apparently you should suck small pebbles when your mouth is dry, to stimulate saliva glands, when in areas where water is scarce. Like rural Africa, I suppose...
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'Flower pot' Roman coffin sold for £40,000
A Roman coffin used by a couple to hold plants in their garden for 30 years has sold for £40,000 at auction.
11:53AM GMT 15 Feb 2013
A rare Roman treasure that was used as a flower pot for the last 30 years was sold at auction yesterday for £40,000.
The marble coffin dating back to the first or second century AD went under the hammer at Henry Duke's in Dorset.
An overseas dealer paid £40,000, plus a 19.5 per cent buyers' premium for the relic.
Its owners, who wished to remain anonymous, had used the coffin as a garden trough at their home in Northumberland.
They read about a similar sarcophagus being discovered in a garden last year and contacted experts to verify the find.
Guy Schwinge, of Dukes, said last month: “It dawned on them that they had something that looked rather similar on the far side of their lawn.
"They emailed me some pictures and after I saw them I got on the next flight to Newcastle.
"I found it sat on the grass, filled with plants. It is quite exceptional for a something of this importance to turn up unrecognised in a garden.”
The 6ft 9in, one-tonne marble coffin - probably used by an aristocratic Roman family - is intricately carved and almost identical to another kept in The Vatican.
Experts believe the 6ft 9in (2.06m) coffin, engraved with a central panel of The Three Graces, could date from the Hadrianic period, named for the reign of Emperor Hadrian from 117 to 138AD. The era was known for its rapid architectural and sculptural development.
The Three Graces panel is flanked by torch-bearing putti and fluted panels.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/ga ... 40000.html
A Roman coffin used by a couple to hold plants in their garden for 30 years has sold for £40,000 at auction.
11:53AM GMT 15 Feb 2013
A rare Roman treasure that was used as a flower pot for the last 30 years was sold at auction yesterday for £40,000.
The marble coffin dating back to the first or second century AD went under the hammer at Henry Duke's in Dorset.
An overseas dealer paid £40,000, plus a 19.5 per cent buyers' premium for the relic.
Its owners, who wished to remain anonymous, had used the coffin as a garden trough at their home in Northumberland.
They read about a similar sarcophagus being discovered in a garden last year and contacted experts to verify the find.
Guy Schwinge, of Dukes, said last month: “It dawned on them that they had something that looked rather similar on the far side of their lawn.
"They emailed me some pictures and after I saw them I got on the next flight to Newcastle.
"I found it sat on the grass, filled with plants. It is quite exceptional for a something of this importance to turn up unrecognised in a garden.”
The 6ft 9in, one-tonne marble coffin - probably used by an aristocratic Roman family - is intricately carved and almost identical to another kept in The Vatican.
Experts believe the 6ft 9in (2.06m) coffin, engraved with a central panel of The Three Graces, could date from the Hadrianic period, named for the reign of Emperor Hadrian from 117 to 138AD. The era was known for its rapid architectural and sculptural development.
The Three Graces panel is flanked by torch-bearing putti and fluted panels.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/ga ... 40000.html
ramonmercado
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'Entire streets' of Roman London uncovered in the City
An archaeological dig in the heart of the City "will transform our understanding" of Roman London, experts claim.
About 10,000 finds have been discovered, including writing tablets and good luck charms.
The area has been dubbed the "Pompeii of the north" due to the perfect preservation of organic artefacts such as leather and wood.
One expert said: "This is the site that we have been dreaming of for 20 years."
Archaeologists expect the finds, at the three acre site, to provide the earliest foundation date for Roman London, currently AD 47.
The site will house media corporation Bloomberg's European headquarters.
It contains the bed of the Walbrook, one of the "lost" rivers of London, and features built-up soil waterfronts and timber structures, including a complex Roman drainage system used to discharge waste from industrial buildings.
Organic materials such as leather and wood were preserved in an anaerobic environment, due to the bed being waterlogged.
Museum of London archaeologists (MOLA), who led the excavation of the site, say it contains the largest collection of small finds ever recovered on a single site in London, covering a period from the AD 40s to the early 5th Century.
Sadie Watson, the site director for MOLA, said: "We have entire streets of Roman London in front of us."
At 40ft (12m), the site is believed to be one of the deepest archaeological digs in London, and the team have removed 3,500 tonnes of soil in six months.
More than 100 fragments of Roman writing tablets have been discovered. Some are thought to contain names and addresses, while others contain affectionate letters.
A wooden door, only the second to be found in London, is another prize find.
MOLA's Sophie Jackson said the site contains "layer upon layer of Roman timber buildings, fences and yards, all beautifully preserved and containing amazing personal items, clothes and even documents."
The site also includes a previously unexcavated section of the Temple of Mithras, a Roman cult, which was first unearthed in 1954.
The preserved timber means that tree ring samples will provide dendrochronological dating for Roman London, expected to be earlier than the current dating of AD 47.
The artefacts are to be transported back to the Museum of London to be freeze-dried and preserved by record, as the site will eventually become the entrance to the Waterloo and City line at Bank station.
Once Bloomberg Place is completed in 2016, the temple and finds from the excavation will become part of a public exhibition within Bloomberg's headquarters.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22084384
Truly an Earth Mystery - such finds could exist almost anywhere beneath our feet, but they're only discovered when major redevelopment threatens.
An archaeological dig in the heart of the City "will transform our understanding" of Roman London, experts claim.
About 10,000 finds have been discovered, including writing tablets and good luck charms.
The area has been dubbed the "Pompeii of the north" due to the perfect preservation of organic artefacts such as leather and wood.
One expert said: "This is the site that we have been dreaming of for 20 years."
Archaeologists expect the finds, at the three acre site, to provide the earliest foundation date for Roman London, currently AD 47.
The site will house media corporation Bloomberg's European headquarters.
It contains the bed of the Walbrook, one of the "lost" rivers of London, and features built-up soil waterfronts and timber structures, including a complex Roman drainage system used to discharge waste from industrial buildings.
Organic materials such as leather and wood were preserved in an anaerobic environment, due to the bed being waterlogged.
Museum of London archaeologists (MOLA), who led the excavation of the site, say it contains the largest collection of small finds ever recovered on a single site in London, covering a period from the AD 40s to the early 5th Century.
Sadie Watson, the site director for MOLA, said: "We have entire streets of Roman London in front of us."
At 40ft (12m), the site is believed to be one of the deepest archaeological digs in London, and the team have removed 3,500 tonnes of soil in six months.
More than 100 fragments of Roman writing tablets have been discovered. Some are thought to contain names and addresses, while others contain affectionate letters.
A wooden door, only the second to be found in London, is another prize find.
MOLA's Sophie Jackson said the site contains "layer upon layer of Roman timber buildings, fences and yards, all beautifully preserved and containing amazing personal items, clothes and even documents."
The site also includes a previously unexcavated section of the Temple of Mithras, a Roman cult, which was first unearthed in 1954.
The preserved timber means that tree ring samples will provide dendrochronological dating for Roman London, expected to be earlier than the current dating of AD 47.
The artefacts are to be transported back to the Museum of London to be freeze-dried and preserved by record, as the site will eventually become the entrance to the Waterloo and City line at Bank station.
Once Bloomberg Place is completed in 2016, the temple and finds from the excavation will become part of a public exhibition within Bloomberg's headquarters.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22084384
Truly an Earth Mystery - such finds could exist almost anywhere beneath our feet, but they're only discovered when major redevelopment threatens.
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Slideshow/picture gallery of some of the finds from the Bloomberg site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22086375
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22086375
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A long article on the London dig here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/enviro ... ondon.html
Extract:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/enviro ... ondon.html
Extract:
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Richard III team makes second Leicester car park find
The team that discovered the remains of Richard III under a Leicester car park has made another find.
A 1,700-year-old Roman cemetery has been identified beneath another car park in the city.
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester believe the remains date back to 300AD.
Researchers found 13 sets of remains of mixed age and sex as well as hairpins, belt buckles and other personal items at the site on Oxford Street.
In February remains found beneath Greyfriars car park were revealed to be those of the last Plantagenet monarch, Richard III.
Project officer John Thomas said: "We have discovered new evidence about a known cemetery that existed outside the walled town of Roman Leicester during the 3rd to 4th Centuries AD.
"The excavation, at the junction of Oxford Street and Newarke Street, lies approximately 130m outside the south gate of Roman Leicester.
"Unusually, the 13 burials found during the recent excavations, of mixed age and sex, displayed a variety of burial traditions including east to west and north to south-oriented graves, many with personal items such as hobnailed shoes."
During the dig archaeologists also found a jet ring bearing what is possibly an early Christian symbol.
"Roman law forbade burial within the town limits so cemeteries developed outside the walls, close to well-used roads," added Mr Thomas.
Previous excavations on Newarke Street have revealed numerous Christian burial grounds near the present site.
Unusually, the recent excavations display a variety of burial traditions.
One grave possibly even suggests a Pagan burial, with the body laid on its side in a semi-foetal position and the head removed and placed near the feet, alongside two pottery jars that would have held offerings for the journey to the afterlife.
"It is possible from the variety of burials found that the cemetery catered for a range of beliefs that would have been important to people living in Leicester at this time," said Mr Thomas.
The site is earmarked for development.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-le ... e-22404032
The team that discovered the remains of Richard III under a Leicester car park has made another find.
A 1,700-year-old Roman cemetery has been identified beneath another car park in the city.
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester believe the remains date back to 300AD.
Researchers found 13 sets of remains of mixed age and sex as well as hairpins, belt buckles and other personal items at the site on Oxford Street.
In February remains found beneath Greyfriars car park were revealed to be those of the last Plantagenet monarch, Richard III.
Project officer John Thomas said: "We have discovered new evidence about a known cemetery that existed outside the walled town of Roman Leicester during the 3rd to 4th Centuries AD.
"The excavation, at the junction of Oxford Street and Newarke Street, lies approximately 130m outside the south gate of Roman Leicester.
"Unusually, the 13 burials found during the recent excavations, of mixed age and sex, displayed a variety of burial traditions including east to west and north to south-oriented graves, many with personal items such as hobnailed shoes."
During the dig archaeologists also found a jet ring bearing what is possibly an early Christian symbol.
"Roman law forbade burial within the town limits so cemeteries developed outside the walls, close to well-used roads," added Mr Thomas.
Previous excavations on Newarke Street have revealed numerous Christian burial grounds near the present site.
Unusually, the recent excavations display a variety of burial traditions.
One grave possibly even suggests a Pagan burial, with the body laid on its side in a semi-foetal position and the head removed and placed near the feet, alongside two pottery jars that would have held offerings for the journey to the afterlife.
"It is possible from the variety of burials found that the cemetery catered for a range of beliefs that would have been important to people living in Leicester at this time," said Mr Thomas.
The site is earmarked for development.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-le ... e-22404032
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ramonmercado
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ramonmercado
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Hot summer unearths Roman discoveries in Wales
[Photos]
A rare Roman fort and marching camp have been discovered in Wales by aerial archaeologists during the hot summer.
The major Roman fort complex was spotted on parched grassland near Brecon, Powys, and the marching camp near Caerwent in Monmouthshire.
Aerial archaeologist Toby Driver said he could not believe his eyes when he spotted the fort from the air.
Scores of Iron Age farms and forts were also found in Pembrokeshire and the Vale of Glamorgan.
The crop of summer discoveries follow similarly exciting Bronze Age ones made during last winter's snow.
Dr Driver, from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), said 2013's spell of hot weather has left him reflecting on some of the most significant finds since 2006.
He targeted reconnaissance flights in a light aircraft to where the drought conditions were most severe across the length and breadth of Wales.
When crop marks show in drought conditions Dr Driver said the Royal Commission's aerial survey only has a few weeks to record the sites before rain or harvest removes them.
The Roman fort complex discovery near Brecon was a "rare discovery for Wales" and was made following a tip from Dr Jeffrey Davies, who he has been working with on another project - the Abermagwr Roman villa excavations near Aberystwyth.
"Jeffrey Davies noticed an anomaly in Roman coin finds near Brecon, reported under the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)," explained the aerial archaeologist.
"He had a hunch that the coins, of the Emperor Claudius, could indicate a lost early Roman fort, and passed a grid reference to me the day before a flight into central Wales.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when the pilot and I approached the location and saw fading crop marks of a major Roman fort complex, lost beneath fields and a road for nearly 2,000 years." 8)
Between Caerwent and Chepstow, the aerial survey pinpointed only the second Roman overnight marching camp in Monmouthshire which Dr Driver said appears to show a small expeditionary force on manoeuvres, perhaps in the years around 50 AD.
"Because the campaigns against the tenacious Silures were documented by Roman historians, we expect more camps in south east Wales than we currently know about," he added.
West of Caerwent, a "remarkable" Iron Age settlement was also revealed.
In Pembrokeshire, one of the largest and most complex Iron Age defended farms in Pembrokeshire was found at Conkland Hill, Wiston, while in the Vale of Glamorgan more Iron Age settlements were discovered close to the Roman villa at Caermead, Llantwit Major.
Dr Driver added: "Given the decades of aerial survey in the region around Caerwent, these surprise discoveries show the continuing need for aerial archaeology in Wales."
In the winter, surveys in the snow uncovered Bronze Age burial mounds in the Vale of Glamorgan and a moated site at Llangorse lake, near Brecon.
The Royal Commission will now begin cataloguing and mapping the discoveries to make the information more widely available online.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23628630
[Photos]
A rare Roman fort and marching camp have been discovered in Wales by aerial archaeologists during the hot summer.
The major Roman fort complex was spotted on parched grassland near Brecon, Powys, and the marching camp near Caerwent in Monmouthshire.
Aerial archaeologist Toby Driver said he could not believe his eyes when he spotted the fort from the air.
Scores of Iron Age farms and forts were also found in Pembrokeshire and the Vale of Glamorgan.
The crop of summer discoveries follow similarly exciting Bronze Age ones made during last winter's snow.
Dr Driver, from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), said 2013's spell of hot weather has left him reflecting on some of the most significant finds since 2006.
He targeted reconnaissance flights in a light aircraft to where the drought conditions were most severe across the length and breadth of Wales.
When crop marks show in drought conditions Dr Driver said the Royal Commission's aerial survey only has a few weeks to record the sites before rain or harvest removes them.
The Roman fort complex discovery near Brecon was a "rare discovery for Wales" and was made following a tip from Dr Jeffrey Davies, who he has been working with on another project - the Abermagwr Roman villa excavations near Aberystwyth.
"Jeffrey Davies noticed an anomaly in Roman coin finds near Brecon, reported under the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)," explained the aerial archaeologist.
"He had a hunch that the coins, of the Emperor Claudius, could indicate a lost early Roman fort, and passed a grid reference to me the day before a flight into central Wales.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when the pilot and I approached the location and saw fading crop marks of a major Roman fort complex, lost beneath fields and a road for nearly 2,000 years." 8)
Between Caerwent and Chepstow, the aerial survey pinpointed only the second Roman overnight marching camp in Monmouthshire which Dr Driver said appears to show a small expeditionary force on manoeuvres, perhaps in the years around 50 AD.
"Because the campaigns against the tenacious Silures were documented by Roman historians, we expect more camps in south east Wales than we currently know about," he added.
West of Caerwent, a "remarkable" Iron Age settlement was also revealed.
In Pembrokeshire, one of the largest and most complex Iron Age defended farms in Pembrokeshire was found at Conkland Hill, Wiston, while in the Vale of Glamorgan more Iron Age settlements were discovered close to the Roman villa at Caermead, Llantwit Major.
Dr Driver added: "Given the decades of aerial survey in the region around Caerwent, these surprise discoveries show the continuing need for aerial archaeology in Wales."
In the winter, surveys in the snow uncovered Bronze Age burial mounds in the Vale of Glamorgan and a moated site at Llangorse lake, near Brecon.
The Royal Commission will now begin cataloguing and mapping the discoveries to make the information more widely available online.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23628630
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Roman skulls washed down lost river
By Melissa Hogenboom, Science reporter, BBC News
Archaeologists working with London's Crossrail project have uncovered 20 skulls believed to be from the Roman period.
It is likely the bones were washed from a nearby burial site along one of London's "lost" rivers - the Walbrook.
Since the Crossrail project began, about 10,000 Roman items have been discovered.
These latest finds could give new insights into the lives of Roman people.
Near-intact pottery artefacts were also found which likely travelled along the same route as the skulls. Other bone fragments would not have been washed as easily down the river.
Paved over in the 15th Century, the Walbrook river divided the western and eastern parts of the city, its moist muddy walls providing exceptionally good conditions for artefacts to be preserved.
The discoveries were found about three metres below ground and underneath the Bedlam cemetery, a burial ground where hundreds of skeletons have been unearthed.
Though they have yet to be forensically dated, Nicholas Elsden from the Museum of London Archaeology said they were likely to be from the 3rd to 4th centuries AD, as that was when Romans buried their citizens as opposed to cremating them.
"It's relatively unusual find to find so many concentrated [in one area] when you're not in a graveyard. We're 100 yards outside the Roman city walls."
Roman law required burial outside the city, explained Mr Elsden, which meant there were burial sites circled around the town.
"What we're looking at here is how the Romans viewed their dead. You wouldn't imagine modern burial grounds being allowed to wash out into a river," he told BBC News.
Don Walker, an osteologist also from the Museum of London Archaeology, said the skulls were probably buried in different environments, shown by their shades of brown and grey.
"Forensic studies show that when the body disintegrates near a watercourse, the skull travels furthest. Either because it floats or it can roll along the base of the river.
"They were possibly buried in an area where there wasn't much land available. At the moment it looks as though they've collected together through natural processes."
From initial observations, Mr Walker said there was no evidence of any "foul play", but details about their sex and age would only emerge through further investigations.
He added that chemical markers on the teeth could reveal where these people came from and what sorts of food they ate.
Archaeologists believe that the Crossrail Project will lead to further discoveries hidden beneath the streets of London and say it could transform our understanding of Roman London.
Other recent findings include several bodies believed to date from the time of the Black Death and wood thought to be evidence of a 3,500-year-old Bronze Age transport route through London.
Crossrail currently operates over 40 worksites and archaeological investigations are carried out at each site ahead of main construction works to build the central stations.
The project will connect 37 stations from Heathrow Airport and Maidenhead in the west, through central London and out to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east and is due to be completed in 2018. [Map on page.]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24351460
By Melissa Hogenboom, Science reporter, BBC News
Archaeologists working with London's Crossrail project have uncovered 20 skulls believed to be from the Roman period.
It is likely the bones were washed from a nearby burial site along one of London's "lost" rivers - the Walbrook.
Since the Crossrail project began, about 10,000 Roman items have been discovered.
These latest finds could give new insights into the lives of Roman people.
Near-intact pottery artefacts were also found which likely travelled along the same route as the skulls. Other bone fragments would not have been washed as easily down the river.
Paved over in the 15th Century, the Walbrook river divided the western and eastern parts of the city, its moist muddy walls providing exceptionally good conditions for artefacts to be preserved.
The discoveries were found about three metres below ground and underneath the Bedlam cemetery, a burial ground where hundreds of skeletons have been unearthed.
Though they have yet to be forensically dated, Nicholas Elsden from the Museum of London Archaeology said they were likely to be from the 3rd to 4th centuries AD, as that was when Romans buried their citizens as opposed to cremating them.
"It's relatively unusual find to find so many concentrated [in one area] when you're not in a graveyard. We're 100 yards outside the Roman city walls."
Roman law required burial outside the city, explained Mr Elsden, which meant there were burial sites circled around the town.
"What we're looking at here is how the Romans viewed their dead. You wouldn't imagine modern burial grounds being allowed to wash out into a river," he told BBC News.
Don Walker, an osteologist also from the Museum of London Archaeology, said the skulls were probably buried in different environments, shown by their shades of brown and grey.
"Forensic studies show that when the body disintegrates near a watercourse, the skull travels furthest. Either because it floats or it can roll along the base of the river.
"They were possibly buried in an area where there wasn't much land available. At the moment it looks as though they've collected together through natural processes."
From initial observations, Mr Walker said there was no evidence of any "foul play", but details about their sex and age would only emerge through further investigations.
He added that chemical markers on the teeth could reveal where these people came from and what sorts of food they ate.
Archaeologists believe that the Crossrail Project will lead to further discoveries hidden beneath the streets of London and say it could transform our understanding of Roman London.
Other recent findings include several bodies believed to date from the time of the Black Death and wood thought to be evidence of a 3,500-year-old Bronze Age transport route through London.
Crossrail currently operates over 40 worksites and archaeological investigations are carried out at each site ahead of main construction works to build the central stations.
The project will connect 37 stations from Heathrow Airport and Maidenhead in the west, through central London and out to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east and is due to be completed in 2018. [Map on page.]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24351460