Latest news with #GlennManning
Euronews
2 days ago
- Science
- Euronews
Rare sword find leads to discovery of Roman-era settlement in England
What began as an extremely rare discovery of two Roman swords by a metal detectorist has led to an enormous Early-Middle Iron Age find in the Cotswolds in south-west England. Archaeological excavations at the site in Gloucestershire have revealed an extensive Roman era settlement from the first and second centuries. The site near Willersey, funded by Historic England and directed jointly with Cotswold Archaeology, suggests possible evidence of a Roman villa, which may also have a pair of flanking wings, one at either end of a central range. Once Historic England has the final report on the archaeological work, it will be able to consider whether to recommend to the UK government that the site be protected as a scheduled monument. Iron Roman cavalry swords The dig follows the discovery of two iron Roman cavalry swords, possibly displaying traces of their scabbards, during a metal detecting rally in the north of the Cotswolds in March 2023. The swords were originally reported to and identified by the Portable Antiquities Scheme, who arranged with the finder, metal detectorist Glenn Manning, and the landowner for them to be donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. The swords were X-rayed at Historic England's science facility at Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth. Analysis of the weapons reveals they were constructed differently: one has evidence of decorative pattern welding running down the centre, whereas the other sword is plain. The pattern-welded sword would have been more expensive to produce and therefore higher status. The swords will be available for the public to see at the Corinium Museum from 2 August. Although historically important, at the time of discovery they were not protected by laws such as the 1996 Treasure Act as no gold or silver were discovered within the assemblage that contained the two iron swords, several copper alloy scabbard fittings and strap fittings and a fragmentary copper alloy bowl. It is believed these long swords or 'spatha' were used by the Romans on horseback from early in the second century AD through to the third century AD. They are contemporary with the villa. How they came to be there though, is currently unknown.
ITV News
2 days ago
- Science
- ITV News
Iron Age Roman settlement uncovered after rare sword find
An Iron Age Roman settlement has been discovered following a rare sword find, archaeologists have excavation near Willersey, Gloucestershire, has revealed what could be evidence of a Roman villa, marking a remarkable archaeological find that spans several centuries of British investigation began two years ago when metal detectorist, Glenn Manning, made an extraordinary discovery during a metal detecting rally. Glenn Manning, who was only on his second detecting expedition, uncovered two iron Roman cavalry said" 'Finding two swords in the same spot was amazing, the morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special. I'm excited to find out more about them.' The swords were donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, where they will form part of the museum's collection. Following the sword discovery, Historic England conducted geophysical surveys of the area, which revealed the possibility of extensive prehistoric and Roman remains. The subsequent excavations, carried out earlier this year, uncovered evidence of settlements spanning several centuries. The archaeological team discovered three or four Iron Age ring ditches, a substantial rectangular enclosure, and the remains of Roman limestone buildings, which could constitute a villa. Ian Barnes, senior archaeologist at Historic England, explained the significance of the find: 'This excavation provides valuable insights into the nature of settlement patterns from the Early Iron Age through to the Roman period in Gloucestershire. "This new evidence will help us to understand more about what happened around the period of the Roman Conquest, which must have been a tumultuous time.' The long swords, known as 'spatha,' were used by Roman cavalry from the early second century AD through to the third century AD. These weapons are contemporary with the villa, though archaeologists remain uncertain about how they came to be at the site. Peter Busby from Cotswold Archaeology praised the collaborative effort: 'I am very proud of how much our team of volunteers, professional archaeologists, and metal detectorists achieved in 15 days, despite the heavy January rain. "We turned a ploughed field, the swords, and geophysical anomalies into the story of a settlement spanning hundreds of years – the first stage in telling the history of these fields and their cavalry swords.'Further archaeological work is required before Historic England can make recommendations to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding the site's protection as a scheduled Roman cavalry swords will be on display for public viewing at the Corinium Museum from 2nd August, offering visitors the opportunity to see these extraordinary artefacts that have unlocked centuries of local history.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient Roman settlement uncovered after rare swords found near Cotswolds village
An Iron Age Roman settlement has been discovered after a metal detectorist found two rare swords near a Cotswolds village. Archaeologists said their excavation had uncovered what could be evidence of a Roman villa. It follows the discovery of two iron Roman cavalry swords, possibly displaying traces of their scabbards, during a metal detecting rally near Willersey two years ago. Found by metal detectorist Glenn Manning, the swords were later donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. Mr Manning said: "Finding two swords in the same spot was amazing. "The morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special. "This was only my second time metal detecting. I'm excited to find out more about them." Historic England then carried out geophysical surveys of the area where the swords were found, which revealed the possibility of extensive prehistoric, and Romano-British remains. Evidence of settlements spanning several centuries was then found during excavations earlier this year. These include three or four Iron Age ring ditches, a substantial rectangular enclosure, and remains of Roman limestone buildings, which could be a winged villa. Following more archaeological work, Historic England could then recommend to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the site be protected as a scheduled monument. It is believed the long swords or "spatha" were used by the Romans on horseback from early in the second century AD through to the third century AD. They are contemporary with the villa, but it is not known how they came to be there. Ian Barnes, senior archaeologist at Historic England, said: "This excavation provides valuable insights into the nature of settlement patterns from the Early Iron Age through to the Roman period in Gloucestershire. "This new evidence will help us to understand more about what happened around the period of the Roman Conquest, which must have been a tumultuous time." Peter Busby, from Cotswold Archaeology, said: "I am very proud of how much our team of volunteers, professional archaeologists, and metal detectorists achieved in 15 days, despite the heavy January rain. "We turned a ploughed field, the swords, and geophysical anomalies into the story of a settlement spanning hundreds of years - the first stage in telling the history of these fields and their cavalry swords." Read more: Emma Stuart, director of the Corinium Museum, added: "It's a privilege to acquire such rare artefacts. "This valuable addition of Roman weaponry at the museum broadens the story of life in the Cotswolds during the mid to late Roman period." The swords will be on display for public viewing at the Corinium Museum from 2 August.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Science
- Sky News
Ancient Roman settlement uncovered after rare swords found near Cotswolds village
An Iron Age Roman settlement has been discovered after a metal detectorist found two rare swords near a Cotswolds village. Archaeologists said their excavation had uncovered what could be evidence of a Roman villa. It follows the discovery of two iron Roman cavalry swords, possibly displaying traces of their scabbards, during a metal detecting rally near Willersey two years ago. Found by metal detectorist Glenn Manning, the swords were later donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. Mr Manning said: "Finding two swords in the same spot was amazing. "The morning before the rally, I had a feeling I would find something special. "This was only my second time metal detecting. I'm excited to find out more about them." Historic England then carried out geophysical surveys of the area where the swords were found, which revealed the possibility of extensive prehistoric, and Romano-British remains. Evidence of settlements spanning several centuries was then found during excavations earlier this year. These include three or four Iron Age ring ditches, a substantial rectangular enclosure, and remains of Roman limestone buildings, which could be a winged villa. Following more archaeological work, Historic England could then recommend to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the site be protected as a scheduled monument. It is believed the long swords or "spatha" were used by the Romans on horseback from early in the second century AD through to the third century AD. They are contemporary with the villa, but it is not known how they came to be there. Ian Barnes, senior archaeologist at Historic England, said: "This excavation provides valuable insights into the nature of settlement patterns from the Early Iron Age through to the Roman period in Gloucestershire. "This new evidence will help us to understand more about what happened around the period of the Roman Conquest, which must have been a tumultuous time." Peter Busby, from Cotswold Archaeology, said: "I am very proud of how much our team of volunteers, professional archaeologists, and metal detectorists achieved in 15 days, despite the heavy January rain. "We turned a ploughed field, the swords, and geophysical anomalies into the story of a settlement spanning hundreds of years - the first stage in telling the history of these fields and their cavalry swords." Emma Stuart, director of the Corinium Museum, added: "It's a privilege to acquire such rare artefacts. "This valuable addition of Roman weaponry at the museum broadens the story of life in the Cotswolds during the mid to late Roman period." The swords will be on display for public viewing at the Corinium Museum from 2 August.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Rare sword find leads to discovery of Iron Age Roman settlement
The discovery of two rare Roman cavalry swords by a metal detectorist in the Cotswolds has led to the unearthing of a significant Iron Age and Roman settlement. Excavations revealed evidence of settlements spanning centuries, including Iron Age ring ditches, a substantial enclosure, and Roman limestone buildings, potentially a winged villa. The long swords, or "spatha," date from the early second to third century AD and are contemporary with the Roman villa remains found at the site. Metal detectorist Glenn Manning found the swords near Willersey, Gloucestershire, which were subsequently donated to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. Further archaeological work is planned, and the swords will be on public display at the Corinium Museum from 2 August.
