Students unearth Roman site in Wales — and make ‘rare’ medieval discovery. See it

When students from the University of Chester pulled out their tools and began to dig in northern Wales, they weren’t sure what they would find.

Hopefully, there was evidence of a Roman occupation — found scattered across the United Kingdom — or something belonging to a past culture.

They didn’t know they would be making a monumental discovery.

The students were joined by volunteers at a site in Wrexham for the summer, according to an Aug. 13 news release from the University of Chester.

The site was near an area where Roman tiles had been found previously, according to the release.

“We were very hopeful of finding evidence of Roman life due to previous discoveries and geophysical surveys in the area, not to mention the presence of the legionary tileworks a few fields away, but did not expect our excavations to uncover what is believed to be an early medieval longhouse,” Caroline Pudney, a senior lecturer in archaeology at the university, said.

Uncover more archaeological finds

What are we learning about the past? Here are three of our most recent eye-catching archaeology stories.

→ Ancient 'burial' mound on Greek island turns out to be much more unique

→ Construction near Pompeii unearths dozens of 2,000-year-old burials

→ 1,000-year-old Maya ruins — once home to the elite — unearthed in Mexico. Take a look

Just below the surface, the team uncovered a long, narrow building that would have been a communal dwelling, according to the release. It consisted of a trackway, structures and building materials.

Archaeologists dated the longhouse to the early Medieval period , from the years 410 to 1066, as the Roman empire fell and new political systems began.

Longhouses were traditional rural farmhouses that held cattle on one end during the winter and ensured shared warmth for both humans and animals during colder months, according to English Heritage. They were used by many cultures over time, including in much of northern Europe during this era, but they eventually fell out of use.

The students also found ceramics, a fragment of a brooch and a stamped legionary tile like what was found nearby, according to university, suggesting the site was likely used by the Romans before the Medieval period began.

“The discovery of a Roman settlement is extremely important in building a bigger picture of Roman Wrexham and although early medieval longhouses have been found in other parts of Wales, to unearth evidence of such a building in north east Wales is extremely rare,” Pudney said.

The team said they battled unfavorable conditions when trying to take surveys of the site, but despite this, a clear image of a gridded settlement could be seen underground, leaving much to be explored.

“While we are yet to begin the post-excavation investigations, during which all the findings will be analyzed, the samples processed and scientific dating obtained, this is potentially a very exciting new find for the region, which could help us to fill in current gaps in understanding about the construction and use of medieval longhouses,” project archaeologist and geophysicist with Heneb, Chris Matthews, said in the release.

Wrexham is in northeast Wales near the border with England, about a 35-mile drive south from Liverpool.

Beach bar used a 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus as table — until a tourist noticed

2,000-year-old colorful mosaic — depicting aquatic creatures — found in the UK. See it

Campsites from the Middle Ages — with ancient rock art — studied in Kazakhstan. See it

Resident spots ‘metal plates’ — and finds hundreds of medieval treasures in Germany