Teenager discovers 2,000-year-old Roman artefact buried for centuries in north Wales

  • Video report by ITV Wales' Rob Shelley

A 2,000-year-old Roman horse bridle buried for centuries has been unearthed by an amateur archeologist in north Wales.

Edward Whitby, 17, made the discovery at Greenfield Valley near Holywell where several pieces of pottery were discovered too.

Hailing from Bagillt, the teenager said: “It was amazing. I was cleaning back and from under the mud a glint of green caught my eye.

“I called Sophie Cooledge (project archaeologist at Heneb) across thinking that it was a ring, but that was when we realised it was an iron age horse mount.

“I’m over the moon to have found it, I was shaking; it was so exciting as it is so different to the ordinary.

“The fact that it is around 2,000 years old is unbelievable.”

The artefact was found within the remains of a newly discovered settlement that most likely belonged to the Iron Age Deceangli tribe. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

The artefact was found within the remains of a newly-discovered settlement that most likely belonged to the Iron Age Deceangli tribe.

But it appeared to have continued into the early Roman period.

The region was occupied by the Celtic clan, spread as far west as the River Conwy and including Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, and was rich in lead and silver, materials highly prised by the Romans.

The excavation was funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

17 year old Edward Whitby made the discovery at Greenfield Valley near Holywell where several pieces of pottery were discovered too. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Chris Matthews, senior project archaeologist for the Trust for Welsh Archaeology, led the the three-week Basingwerk excavation.

It was part of a joint programme led by the Greenfield Valley Trust and Flintshire County Council.

He said: "It is a really big piece of the puzzle that will help us fill in a lot of gaps in our knowledge. When there are gaps, we make presumptions, but this will help us build a clearer picture of some of the most elusive chapters of our past.

"One fascinating aspect of this is that we can now start to see that at least some of local Britons were living in harmony with the arriving Romans."

The excavation was part of a joint programme led by the Greenfield Valley Trust and Flintshire County Council. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Mr Matthews added: "In addition to the bridle mount, the excavation has also found a wide variety of pottery types. This suggests that those living in this settlement were wealthy and directly trading with the occupying Roman legion.

"We can also date the place to a time when Chester was only just being built, which further hints at a cooperative relationship between the Romans and the North Walian tribe.

"Finding the mount really was the cherry on the top of the excavation as it confirmed how significant the site is."

Councillor David Healey, Flintshire Council cabinet member for climate change and economy, said: "This is a perfect example of the impact of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

"With the funding support, the history of Flintshire has been enriched and provided Greenfield Valley the opportunity to increase visitor footfall as a result of improved talks and exhibitions."

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