The remains of an Iron Age village that grew into a bustling ancient Roman trading town, with more than 300 Roman coins, glass vessels and water wells, have been found in the district of South Northamptonshire, England in the United Kingdom.
Archeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) Headland Infrastructure spent the past decade studying the ancient hotspot known as Blackgrounds for its black soil, which has an abundance of ancient artifacts and structures.
James West, MOLA site manager, said in a video that there is a hive of activity with people doing different things.
There are headless Roman gladiator skeletons.
Archaeologists have known about Blackgrounds' history since the 18th century, but it wasn't until the survey and excavation that they realized the site's remarkable preservation. Archaeologists discovered that the village had more than 30 roundhouses near a road during the Iron Age. The settlement grew and became more prosperous. Blackgrounds people built new stone buildings and roads during the Roman period.
Blackgrounds' inhabitants probably stayed the same as they transitioned from Iron Age village to Roman town. The archaeologists said this included using Roman customs, products and building techniques.
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The archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds, Northamptonshire, uncovered Roman pottery. High Speed Two is a company.
Blackgrounds was a Roman trading settlement and the walls of domestic building were uncovered. High Speed Two is a company.
Blackgrounds is a Roman trading settlement in South Northamptonshire.
The well was found at the archaeological excavation of the Roman trading settlement of Blackgrounds.
A Roman pot was found at the archaeological excavation of Roman trading settlement, Blackgrounds, South Northamptonshire.
The scale weight of a Roman female deity was found during the archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds.
During the archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds, Chipping Warden, there was uncovered a Roman die and bone gaming piece.
The Roman weaving accessories were found during the archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds.
The archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds, Chipping Warden uncovered some Roman artifacts.
The statement said that the Roman road is "extraordinary in its size" and that most Roman roads were no more than 13 feet wide. The road would have been filled with animals and people loading and unloading carts. Blackgrounds is likely to be a thriving trade hub because of this road and River Cherwell.
The settlement was divided into different sections, including a domestic sector filled with building foundations and an industrial park with workshops, kilns and preserved wells. One part of Blackgrounds had fiery red dirt, an indication that burning had happened at the site, for example for bread baking, foundries for metal work or a kiln for pottery.
Roman weaving accessories, decorative pottery, and a Roman snake head-shaped brooch are indicative of Blackgrounds' prosperity. The ancient Romans crushed galena and mixed it with oil to make makeup.
Live Science previously reported that the team found a set of shackles that were similar to those found in Great Casterton. Blackgrounds had either slave labor or criminal activity, according to the statement.
The Blackgrounds settlement is being mapped out by the archaeologists and specialists at MOLA Headland Infrastructure are examining the artifacts found at the site.
It was originally published on Live Science.
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