Scotland, Roman fibula discovered in Iron Age fortified settlement

Archaeological excavations conducted in 2020 at the William Grant & Sons Girvan Distillery at Curragh in South Ayrshire, Scotland, uncovered a fortified settlement dating back to the Iron Age. The work, carried out by archaeologists from GUARD Archaeology on behalf of McLaughlin & Harvey and funded by William Grant & Sons Distillers Ltd, was required by South Ayrshire Council as part of its archaeological heritage protection requirements.

Indeed, the area is located in a region where previous prehistoric sites were known, and the West of Scotland Archaeology Service had speculated on the possible presence of buried structures. Discoveries have confirmed these predictions, uncovering traces of a settlement spanning several historical periods. The site, located on a rocky Curragh plateau with a natural escarpment to the north, housed a large circular wooden dwelling protected by a solid palisade with a monumental entrance. The structure suggests that it probably belonged to a wealthy farming family. Its elevated position and fortifications also suggest a possible defensive function, at a time when the region was going through tensions after the retreat of the Roman legions. One of the most unusual finds involves an enameled bronze fibula, discovered at the base of the trench in which the palisade posts were fixed. The object, clearly of Roman origin, shows no signs of use by local inhabitants. The ’element led archaeologists to speculate that it was not a personal ornament, but rather a votive offering. In fact, the inhabitants of the settlement may have laid it down as a ritual act when the palisade was built, giving the structure a spiritual or propitiatory significance.

“This exotic brooch and others like it typically date to the late second century AD and are most commonly found along the borders of the Roman Empire, in eastern Gaul, Switzerland and the Rhineland,” said Jordan Barbour, co-author of the report. “Their distribution pattern suggests that these brooches were particularly popular among members of the Roman military forces, so it is likely that they arrived north of Hadrian’s Wall on the cloak of a Roman soldier assigned to guard the northernmost frontier of the Empire.”

“It’s hard to say exactly why the brooch was deposited in the palisade trench,” said Jordan Barbour, “but we know that ritualized foundation offerings are observed in many cultures, usually put in place to provide protection for a family, and this is certainly a possibility here. As for how it ended up here, there are some plausible scenarios. It is the only Roman artifact recovered from the site. If the inhabitants had established regular trade with Roman Britain, we might expect to find a greater variety of Roman objects, but this is a firmly native context. Rather, it is more likely that the brooch was obtained through an ad hoc exchange with Roman troops operating north of Hadrian’s Wall, perhaps even taken in battle as a trophy.”

The presence of the Roman fibula also suggests an interaction, direct or indirect, between Iron Age Britons and the Roman world. Despite the absence of Roman forts in the area after the abandonment of the Antonine Wall in the second century CE, about two kilometers from the site is a Roman military camp dating to the first century CE. All this suggests that the region had already been the scene of presences and perhaps conflicts between the two groups. In any case, occupation of the site is not limited to the Iron Age. Excavations have revealed an even earlier level of habitation, dated to the 7th century B.C., when the village was not yet fortified. Even more surprising are the findings of pottery dating to the Neolithic period, between 3,700 and 3,500 B.C., a time when a large wooden monument was built in the same area. The findings affirm how the place has been inhabited and exploited for thousands of years, confirming the strategic and symbolic importance of the plateau. The presence of fortifications, votive offerings and traces of contact with the Roman world suggest a complex reality, in which defensive needs, ritual practices and cultural relations were intertwined.

Scotland, Roman fibula discovered in Iron Age fortified settlement

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