Monday, 8 June 2020

New look at Rome in Wales

There was an extensive aerial survey of Wales in 2018, taking advantage of the drought revealing hitherto unknown Roman sites and roads through crop marks. Extensive analysis followed, and the journal Britannia has now published the results of the work by the RCAHMW (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales). There is also a summary by the BBC here

Sadly, there is nothing new about Roman activities around Neath (Nidum), though we know there is much evidence in the ground, as excavations for the new teaching block at Dwr-y-Felin Upper School have shown. However, the discoveries in West Wales are exciting and would clearly repay spades in the earth, if that can be arranged. One of the few benefits of a recession is that there is less commercial pressure to develop sites of historical interest, though social distancing makes proper digs impossible at present.

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