18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

2,000-Year-Old Iron Age and Roman Treasures Found in Wales Could Point to an Unknown Roman Settlement

A metal detectorist found a pile of exceptionally preserved Roman and Iron Age objects buried 2,000 years ago in a field in Monmouthshire, a county in southeast Wales.

Metal detectorist Jon Matthews discovered the objects, which date back thousands of years, in a field in Llantrisant Fawr in 2019. The Roman finds, now officially declared a treasure, could suggest a previously undiscovered settlement in the area, according to experts.

These finds include a Roman pot and a Celtic bucket mount, which initially emerged as a bloc collection of buried treasures.

According to the press release, archaeologists determined that the 2,000-year-old artifacts were Iron Age and early Roman pottery vessels. From the field, eight artifacts, including two whole pieces, were found.

The artifacts were likely buried together “around the time of the Roman conquest, in the second half of the first century A.D.,” the release said.

Ancient Roman saucepan found in Llantrisant Fawr. Photo from National Museum Wales
Ancient Roman saucepan found in Llantrisant Fawr. Photo from National Museum Wales

Among the finds was a fascinating bowl decorated with an ox face, as seen in one of the photos. A wide-eyed ox with bowed horns is depicted on the blue-green metal design. He sticks out his lower lip or jaw into the handle-like loop.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. I didn’t think our ancestors could make such a beautiful, beautiful thing. I was quite shocked. I feel honored to have found something so unique that is linked to Wales and our ancestors,” Matthews told Wales Online.

The excavation team nicknamed the ox “Bovril,” said Adelle Bricking, an archaeologist who worked on the excavation. Bricking said. “Imagine our surprise when we flicked off the mud and exposed Bovril’s adorable little face!!!” she wrote.

The handle of an ancient Roman saucepan. Photo from National Museum Wales
The handle of an ancient Roman saucepan. Photo from National Museum Wales

The subsequent investigations conducted by experts from the Portable Antiquities Scheme in  Wales (PAS Cymru) and Amgueddfa Cymru uncovered a total of two complete and six fragmentary vessels. Among the findings were remnants of two wooden tankards, an  Iron Age bucket adorned with copper alloy fittings, an Iron Age copper alloy bowl, cauldron, and strainer, as well as two Roman copper alloy saucepans.

“I feel honored to have found something so unique that is linked to Wales and our ancestors,” Matthews said.

Alastair Willis, a senior curator at Amgueddfa Cymru, said, “The discovery of two coin hoards in the same field and in the general vicinity of the Roman town at  Caerwent, is exciting and significant. The results of the geophysical survey undertaken suggest the presence of a previously unknown settlement or religious site where the coin hoards were buried. This sheds light on life in the rural hinterland around the Roman town of Venta Silurum. The discoveries are also important for understanding events happening in south-east Wales around the time when the Romans left, at the beginning of the fifth century AD.”

Related Articles

Cosmic cataclysm 1,500 years ago may have caused downfall of the Hopewell Culture

3 February 2022

3 February 2022

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati find evidence of cosmic cataclysm 1,500 years ago at 11 ancient sites in three...

Young Maya Maize God’s Severed Head found in Palenque

4 June 2022

4 June 2022

Archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), an approximately 1,300-year-old sculpture of the head of the Young...

Poseidon Temple in Greece Larger than Previously Assumed

27 January 2024

27 January 2024

New excavations at Kleidi-Samikon in Greece’s Western Peloponnese show that the temple, discovered in 2022, is more monumental than previously...

In Medieval burial ground, a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ was discovered

26 February 2023

26 February 2023

Russian archaeologists have uncovered a rare embroidered Deisis depicting Jesus Christ in a medieval burial ground. 46 graves have been...

1,500-year-old Byzantine artifacts found under a peach orchard in Turkey’s Iznik

27 January 2023

27 January 2023

In the world-famous historical city of Iznik, which was the capital of four civilizations, a farmer found coins and historical...

Mass Grave of 150 Roman Legionaries Discovered in Vienna—First Direct Evidence of Ancient Combat on the Danube Limes

4 April 2025

4 April 2025

Archaeologists from the Vienna Museum have made a groundbreaking discovery on the outskirts of Vienna, unearthing the remains of approximately...

A Rare Bilingual Inscription Discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province

28 June 2024

28 June 2024

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission announced the discovery of a rare bilingual inscription in the village of Alqan in the Tabuk...

A rare 3,300-year-old bronze helmet reaching the present from the Hittite Empire era

17 July 2022

17 July 2022

The 3,300-year-old bronze helmet, which was unearthed during the 2002 excavations in Şapinuva, one of the important cult centers of...

Roman-era marble sundial found for the first time in Turkey’s second Ephesus

26 September 2022

26 September 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman-era marble sundial in the ancient city of Aizanoi in the Çavdarhisar district of Kütahya province...

The Discovery of a Unique Pre-Viking Helmet Fragment in Lejre, Denmark

23 January 2025

23 January 2025

In Lejre, the northwestern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, detectorists have uncovered an exceptionally rare fragment...

Underwater Archaeologists discovered World’s Largest and Oldest ancient shipyard on Dana Island, Türkiye

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

The ruins of the world’s largest and oldest ancient shipyard were found in the north of the island of Dana,...

A Second temple of the Second Temple period was discovered at Migdal

13 December 2021

13 December 2021

The University of Haifa reported on Sunday the discovery of a 2,000-year-old synagogue from the Second Temple era in Migdal,...

1800 Years Old Roman Milestone Used as Seat at Turkish Mosque

7 November 2024

7 November 2024

A milestone from the Roman Emperor Gordianus III period, which dates to 239 AD, was discovered in the Fatsa district...

In the “Siberian Valley of the Kings”, archaeologists have discovered a burial mound containing ornate treasures dating back 2,500 years

20 January 2022

20 January 2022

A Polish-Russian team of archaeologists, excavating in the “Siberian Valley of the Kings” have announced the discovery of a burial...

2,300 years old amazing preserved looks almost new Celtic scissors discovered in Germany

30 April 2023

30 April 2023

During a construction project in Munich’s Sendling district, Celtic cremation tombs were discovered. The quality of preservation of the grave...