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Headline: UNCAPTIONED: 'Port Talbot's Pompeii': Astonishing Roman villa discovered in Wales
Caption: 'Port Talbot's Pompeii': Astonishing Roman villa discovered in Wales. Welsh archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a major Roman villa that’s being dubbed ‘Port Talbot’s Pompeii’. The discovery was made by ArchaeoMargam, a partnership between Swansea University’s Centre for Heritage Research and Training (CHART), Neath Port Talbot Council and Margam Abbey Church. Researchers identified the remains after geophysical surveys carried out by Llandough-based company Terradat revealed the outline of a large and well-preserved Roman villa complex. Project lead Dr Alex Langlands, associate professor and co-director of CHART, said: “This is an amazing discovery. “We always thought that we’d find something dating to the Romano-British period, but we never dreamed it would be so clearly articulated and with so much potential in terms of what it can tell us about the elusive first millennium AD here in South Wales.” Initial analysis suggests the villa sat within a defended enclosure measuring about 43 metres by 55 metres. Archaeologists believe this may relate to an earlier Iron Age settlement or reflect insecurity in the later Roman period. A large aisled structure to the south-east of the villa has also been identified. Researchers say it could have been an agricultural building or possibly linked to later, post-Roman use of the site. Alongside the surveys, ArchaeoMargam has carried out excavations on land to the west of Margam Abbey Church, engaging more than 900 people, including school pupils and young archaeologists.
Keywords: Offbeat,Pompeii,Roman villa,discovered,Wales,archaeologists,evidence,Port Talbot’s Pompeii,ArchaeoMargam,discovery,Swansea,University’s Centre for Heritage Research and Training,CHART,Neath Port Talbot Council,Margam Abbey Church,remains,Terradat,Dr Alex Langlands,Romano-British period,site,excavations,Iron Age
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