GIRVAN, SCOTLAND—A mysterious Roman artifact was found in an Iron Age building at the Curragh in South Ayrshire, according to a statement released by Scotland’s GUARD Archaeology. Archaeologists uncovered a rare enameled brooch from the foundation trench of a wooden palisade surrounding a roundhouse inhabited by a local wealthy farming family. The find is peculiar because the artifact is not of local manufacture but of Roman origin. These particular brooches were popular with members of the Roman military, especially along the borders of the empire in places such as eastern Gaul, Switzerland, and the Rhineland. Experts believe it dates to the second century a.d., a time when Rome had lost its grip over southern Scotland. “It’s likely that it came north of Hadrian’s Wall on the cloak of a Roman soldier tasked with garrisoning the Empire’s northernmost frontier,” said archaeologist Jordan Barbour. The researchers do not know exactly how it ended up at the site, as it is the only Roman object that has been found there. It may have been directly acquired by a Roman soldier through trade or even taken as a trophy in battle. There is no evidence, though, that the brooch was ever worn by a local Briton. Instead, the team posits, it was buried in the foundation deposit during the palisade’s construction as a type of votive offering. To read about an unusual Roman brooch unearthed in Denmark, go to "A Rare Bird."
