Vox Latina 2019-2020 Vox Latina Fall 2019 | Page 24

New archaeological digs
help map out Ancient Rome
By Matthew Warden
R
ecently, in quiet, rural Devon, England,
archaeologists uncovered a butcher’s
shop and a center for crafts from the time
of the Roman Empire. The finds suggest
that the butchers worked alongside
craftsmen who worked with deer antlers,
leather, and textiles. This was not the only
find in this area; recently, there were also
several ancient Roman coins that had
been uncovered. Archaeologists dug up
an entire ditch full of the bones of cattle
from about 1,700 years ago in the area
that was thought to be the center of the
town. There were also bits of deer antlers
found that are believed to have been once
used as awls, needles, combs, and
hairpins.
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Much more significant than the actual
items discovered is the location of these
discoveries. For a long time, it was
believed that the Roman Empire stretched
no further southwest in the British Isles
than Exeter. This means that the
boundaries of the Empire extended over
20 miles further than what was previously
believed. This could also mean that there
was even further southwest expansion in
Britain by the Romans.
The location of these discoveries
suggests that there was further
southwest expansion in Britain by
the Romans than previously thought.
Image source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/16/remains-of-ancient-
butchers-beef-up-case-for-redrawing-map-of-roman-empire