Experts hail 'exciting' Roman find

Experts have long known what Roman armour looked like, now they will discover how it worked

LONDON, England -- One of the most important finds of buried Roman artifacts has been made in Britain.

The discovery of hundreds of items of Roman armour rank among the most significant finds ever made in Britain from that period, archeologists said on Thursday.

Among the pieces uncovered on the site of a Roman fort in Carlisle, in northern England, was a scale shoulder guard, believed to be a unique example of its type anywhere in the world.

Experts believe the piece -- which is made of dozens of iron scales held together with bronze wire -- may solve the puzzle of how such armour worked.

The armour is thought to date from around the time of the Emperor Hadrian's visit to Britain in June 122AD.

The Emperor toured the Roman frontier during that period and, following his visit to Carlisle, the building of the wall that bears his name began.

The Carlisle hoard also included laminated limb defences, worn by legionnaires on their sword arms and copied from the equipment of gladiators.

Other discoveries at the site included large numbers of iron projectile heads, a number of spearheads, clay sling-shots and bolts.

The discovery was made by archaeologists John Zant and Gerry Martin of Carlisle Archaeology Ltd, which is part of the University of Bradford's Department of Archaeological Sciences.

They identified a building as an armourer's workshop dating from around the second century AD.

Mike McCarthy, managing director of Carlisle Archaeology Ltd, said: "This wonderful discovery ranks among the most important ever made in Britain from the Roman period.

"The hundreds of items recovered from the site provide a fascinating insight into the period and on the nature of Roman control along its northern frontier."

Dr David Starley, of the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds, assessed the objects using advanced X-radiography facilities.

Thom Richardson, keeper of Oriental and European armour at the museum, said the discovery was "unparalleled."

"Without doubt this is one of the most exciting and important archaeological discoveries of Roman armour in recent years," he said.

"From initial observations it will provide invaluable technical information on how such armour was constructed and functioned."

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The Roman Empire
Royal Armouries National Museum of Arms and Armour
Carlisle Archaeology Ltd.
Department of Archaeological Sciences - University of Bradford

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