The Ancient Romans had a large presence in the UK, building many towns and roads that have lasted into the modern day. A new site of Roman ruins was recently discovered beneath a car dealership in the town of Carmarthen in Wales. The Romans chose to build a fort in the area because of the strategic position nearby the River Towy. The Roman name Moridunum translates to sea fort, providing a link to the past.
The latest ruins are being excavated on the site of a former Denzil Evans car dealership, not too far away from Carmarthen Town Football Club. Archaeologists believe they’ve uncovered the forum basilica, which would have also included a square and civic building.
The dig has been going on for several weeks, with a number of treasures being discovered already. They include pottery, coins, glassware, roof tiles, foundations of Roman buildings and the head of an Apollo statue.
Another significant find was a clay drinking cup, discovered by one of the digging team Jeremy Bond. He explained the history of the object. “This clay cup, which I think would have been for drinking from is completely intact. It has lost its terracotta-like-colour due to being burnt, but that’s how it has survived. I saw the rim and started to remove the burnt timber, which suggests a fire happened here at some point during the Roman period. It’s incredible and a once in a career find, you don’t find two of these in a lifetime. And to find it in Carmarthen, where I live is great as well. It’s special.”
Project manager Phil Poucher also spoke about his excitement. “This is a significant dig for Wales, not just Carmarthen. The cup is incredible, I have been doing this job 20 years and Jerry has been doing it for 25 years, neither of us have ever found something so well preserved. It’s 2000 years old and dates from between 140 AD and 180 AD. When you think there have been buildings over the centuries along this street and this cup was there all along and we are able to hold it just like people did back then.”
The car dealership site will eventually be used for flats and homes. It goes to show that cars can have a connection to all kinds of history.
