"A vast Roman villa discovered three feet below a park in Port Talbot, south Wales, has potential to be the town's very own Pompeii, the archaeologists behind the find have said. The team, comprising representatives from Swansea University centre for heritage research and training, Neath Port Talbot council and Margam Abbey Church, found the footprint of the villa in Margam Country Park, a popular visitor attraction. It appears to be set within an enclosure measuring 43m by 55m. The team says it "struck gold" with the discovery of the "huge structure", which is the largest Roman villa ever found in Wales."
"According to the associate professor of heritage and history at Swansea University, the villa may have been the home of a local dignitary. He believes the discovery will prompt experts to reassess the history of south Wales during the Romano-British period. Geophysical surveys have also revealed a substantial aisled building to the south east of the villa, either a large agricultural storage building or possibly a meeting hall for post-Roman leaders and their followers."
A vast Roman villa lies three feet below Margam Country Park in Port Talbot, set within an enclosure measuring 43m by 55m. A team comprising Swansea University centre for heritage research and training, Neath Port Talbot council and Margam Abbey Church located the villa footprint. The structure is the largest Roman villa found in Wales and may have housed a local dignitary. Geophysical surveys reveal a substantial aisled building southeast of the villa, possibly for agricultural storage or a post-Roman meeting hall. Conservation and further survey work will precede excavation, with findings to be presented at an open day.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]