The lost Roman settlement

A prospector with a metal detector in Wales has discovered an "adorable" ox-head bowl, which could reveal a lost Roman settlement. Jon Matthews discovered the array of artefacts in Monmouthshire, a county in south-east Wales back in 2019 while exploring a pasture. Among the artefacts were Iron Age vessels, Roman coins and a unique find - a bowl with a handle in the shape of an 'adorable' ox head.

The finds were declared 'treasure' by the UK government on 28. April, they contain vessels dating to the Iron Age, including wooden buckets, pails with accessoriesm of copper alloy, a bowl with a metal handle in the shape of an ox head (with the horns intact), a cauldron and a colander. Several Roman artefacts were also found, including copper alloy pans, which were probably buried during the Roman conquest of the area in AD 43.

Another find in the area was a hoard of third and fourth century bronze coins. They were found in the nearby village of Caerwent by Colin Price and Rhys Cadwallader. This series of finds may indicate a previously undiscovered Roman settlement in the area.

The National Museum of Wales has expressed an interest in acquiring any artefacts that are relevant to understanding events in south-east Wales at the time the Romans left the area.

Sources.

Part of a hoard of Roman coins