Two rare Roman lead ingots found in Wales

"Known as pigs, the ingots were cast in moulds with inscriptions impressed on the bottom. The shape was chosen for ease of handling, stacking and shipping. They were large, up to two feet long and weighing an average of more than 150 lbs, an inherent theft deterrent."

"About 100 such pigs are known from Roman Britain and fewer than half of them are extant today. They are the main archaeological evidence of the Roman exploitation of Britain's metal resources, one of the main motivations for Emperor Claudius' invasion in 43 A.D., as no intact Roman mine workings survive."

"The dates in the inscriptions on lead pigs are evidence that the Romans wasted no time working the mines in Britain, in use by local peoples going back centuries, as soon as they subdued an area. The earliest inscribed pigs, from the Mendips in Somerset, date to 49 A.D. and bear the names of legions."

Metal detectorists Nick Yallope and Peter Nicolas discovered two Roman lead ingots in Ceredigion, Wales, buried approximately 1.5 feet underground and 6.5 feet apart. The ingots, cast in trapezoidal shapes weighing over 150 pounds each, bear inscriptions identifying them as from Emperor Domitian's reign in 87 A.D. Known as pigs, these ingots were designed for easy handling and transport. Approximately 100 such artifacts are known from Roman Britain, with fewer than half surviving today. They serve as primary archaeological evidence of Roman metal resource exploitation, a key motivation for the 43 A.D. invasion. Lead was highly valued for water pipes, roofs, and metal alloys. The inscriptions demonstrate Romans immediately exploited existing British mines following conquest.

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