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Roman intaglios found in northern part Roman Empire


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During a recent archaeological excavation at the Roman fort of Bremenium in High Rochester, Northumberland, two intaglios, possibly from rings, were discovered along with Roman pottery, jewelry, and a bronze lamp.

Because Hadrian built his wall farther south of Bremenium, it remained an “outpost” fort north of the wall.

 

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🏛️ Site Overview: Bremenium Fort

Location: High Rochester, Northumberland National Park, north of Hadrian’s Wall.

Historical Role: A key Roman frontier fort on the road linking York, Corbridge, and Melrose.

Excavation Team: Led by the Redesdale Archaeological Group (RAG), supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with 47 volunteers and 24 Newcastle University archaeology students contributing over 4,000 hours.

🧱 2025 Excavation Highlights

Artifacts Found:

Two carved intaglios, likely from signet rings.

Roman pottery, jewelry, military items, and a bronze lamp.

Architectural features, including a bread kiln built into a wall and cobbled roads.

Featured Intaglio:

Made of red stone.

Shows two cupids picking grapes from a tree, with a goat-like creature close by.

Stylistic similarities with gems from Dalmatia and northern Italy suggest the wearer may have come from the Mediterranean.

Possibly associated with Bacchic imagery, representing fertility, celebration, or elite status.

Second Intaglio: Less detail is available, but it was also considered historically important.

🧭 Cultural and Historical Significance

The finds illustrate the mobility and diverse culture of Roman Britain’s frontier zones.

The presence of Mediterranean-style gems in northern England indicates that personal items traveled with soldiers or officials, reinforcing the idea of a connected empire.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2dr4ldwj02o


https://archaeology.org/news/2025/10/29/carved-jewel-uncovered-at-roman-fort-in-northern-england/

 

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An intaglio ring discovered in Cornwall, located in the southwestern part of Britain.

 

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Edited by guy
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  • 2 weeks later...

Here’s another article on the find:
 

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/archaeologists-find-unique-blood-red-gemstone-at-roman-fort-beyond-hadrians-wall

 

Two interesting videos on the northern Roman outpost of Bremenium 
 


 

 

Edited by guy
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