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Britannia

Conservator Bethan Bryan with the Roman arm guard. Source: Duncan McGlynn / National Museums Scotland

“Absolutely Amazing” Roman Arm Guard Pieced Together After 1,800 Years

Over 100 years ago, a Scot unearthed over 100 fragments of metal which he thought comprised a Roman chest guard. Now, National Museums Scotland have reconstructed the artifact and discovered that it...
Various shots of the mosaic now confirmed dated to the 5th century at Chedworth Roman Villa. Source: Stephen Haywood/Ian Shaw/ © National Trust Images

Roman Mosaic Date Brightens Up Britain’s Dark Ages in More Ways Than One

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it’s popularly believed that its fall to ‘barbaric’ forces by the beginning of the 5th century, plunged all of Europe into a ‘Dark Age’, where towns and villas...
Evidence in East England has revealed that there were Roman vineyards in the area. Source: mythja / Adobe Stock

Make Wine Not War: Digs in England Reveal 1st Century Roman Vineyard

Excavations in Cambridgeshire, England, recently produced evidence to suggest that Roman winemakers were active in the region in the first century, possibly as early as 43 AD. This was the time of...
A Roman legion. Source: mehaniq41 / Adobe Stock.

A Brief History of Roman Britain: A Land Transformed

For the Romans, ancient Britain was the final frontier. Situated at the edge of the known world at the time, it was a symbol for the ultimate expansion of the Roman Empire. Conquering it meant...
Hengist by John Speed's  "Saxon Heptarchy" (1611) (Public Domain)

Revolt Of The Angle, Saxon and Jute Mercenaries In Britannia

Three Saxon keels slipped effortlessly through the waves towards the Kentish coast. The white cliffs glided past as the rowers, 20 on each side kept a constant rhythm. The shallow-draft oaken hull,...
Broch of Dun Carloway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.	Source: Manel Vinuesa / Adobe Stock

Advanced Scottish Culture Stopped Romans Taking All Of Britannia

New archaeological evidence demonstrates that Britain’s Hadrian’s Wall was not a cause, but instead an effect of the cultural differences that already thrived between the two territories that would...
The white pipeclay Roman Venus figurine after cleaning and how it was found. 		Source: GloucestershireLive / Cotswold Archaeology

1,800-year-old Roman Venus Figurine Found In England Was A Home Deity

A 17-centimeter (6.7 inch) tall Roman Venus figurine has been discovered by archaeologists in the city of Gloucester, England. This 1,800-year-old find has created considerable excitement in the...
Artifact Reveals People Were Fed To Lions In Roman Britain

Artifact Reveals People Were Fed To Lions In Roman Britain

Archaeologists have presented gory visual evidence that problematic people were fed to lions in Roman Britain. Excavations at a Roman house in Leicester, England in 2017 unearthed a dirt-caked bronze...
A closeup of the shackles found attached to the Roman slave’s feet in England (Britannia), when this particular slave was tossed in a ditch not far from a “proper” English Roman cemetery.

Roman Slave of Britannia, Shackled, And Thrown In A Ditch To Die

Shackled and tossed into a ditch not far from a proper Roman cemetery in England. This is how one British Roman slave died at the hands of Roman invaders. His body is now speaking of severe...
Ancient Roman Marble Used As A Step Is Worth Thousands

Ancient Roman Marble Used As A Step Is Worth Thousands

A carved Roman marble slab that was used as a step to mount a horse for twenty years is expected to fetch up to £15,000 ($20,400) at auction this February. The 25 inch (63.5 cm) high slab of marble...
New Date for Chedworth Roman Villa Mosaic Changes English History

New Date for Chedworth Roman Villa Mosaic Changes English History

Scientific dating methods occasionally rewrite history, and this is certainly the case at the UK Chedworth Roman villa. Using precise radiocarbon dating techniques, scientists have been able to...
The Oxford Archaeology East team sat inside the lime kiln.    Source: Oxford Archaeology East

A Fascinating Roman Industrial Complex Has Been Excavated In England

The remains of a Roman period industrial complex has been uncovered by archaeologists in England, and includes kilns for making lime, mortar and pottery, and this discovery represents a detailed...
Roman lead ingot	Source: Ian Grant/ © Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust

Metal Detectorist Finds Rare Lost Roman Lead Ingot in Wales

A metal detectorist in Wales, Great Britain, has made an important discovery. He unearthed a large lead ingot, inscribed and dated to the time of Roman rule. This find is providing experts more...
Shot of an archaeologist holding the leather prank mouse found in the Roman fort of Vindolanda.      Source: Vindolanda Trust

The Romans’ Playful Side Revealed By Prank Mouse in Vindolanda

A 2,000-year-old ‘prank mouse’ has been discovered in a bag of Roman period leather offcuts in a collection of artifacts in Northumberland’s Vindolanda Museum. The life-sized leather mouse, measuring...
Ancient Roman town spread over 18 acres is unearthed by builders in Kent. Source: KMG / Fair Use.

A Lost Roman Town Has Been Unearthed in England

Archaeologists in south-east England have unearthed a previously unknown Roman town. The urban settlement was uncovered by chance and it has extensive remains. Finding the town is offering...
Zoe Wanamaker in TV series ‘Britannia’.

Britannia, Druids and the Surprisingly Modern Origins of Myths

The new TV series Britannia, which has won plaudits as heralding a new generation of British folk-horror, is clearly not intended to be strictly historical. Instead director Jez Butterworth gives us...
A reconstruction of what the Vine Street courtyard house might have looked like in the late 3rd century AD. It was discovered during excavations for the John Lewis car park in 2006.

Who Said Ancient People Had it Tough? Luxury Homes and Underfloor Heating Were a Part of Life in the Roman Province of Britannia

Archaeologists have uncovered a fantastic Roman mosaic and evidence of good living over 1,500 years ago in Leicester city centre in a home with underfloor heating. The team from the University of...
A Shining Example of Roman Craftsmanship: Unveiling the Superb Berthouville Treasure

A Shining Example of Roman Craftsmanship: Unveiling the Superb Berthouville Treasure

A remarkable silver treasure discovered in France in 1830 is one of the most impressive collections of extremely well-preserved Roman artifacts. Even though almost two centuries have passed since it...