Rare Roman suit of armour discovered at South Wales dig

LONDON - Archaeologists have discovered an entire suit of Roman armour and some weapons during digging at a site in south Wales.

The rare discovery was made during an excavation at the fortress of Caerleon in south Wales, one of Britain’s best known Roman sites.

Dig leader Peter Guest of Cardiff University said the suit was only the third or fourth to be found in the UK, and the first in Wales.

“It’s very important for the study of Roman Britain,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

Guest said that a couple of objects were first spotted last week on top of a floor in one room of a warehouse on the Priory Field site.

“We have been working on one of the rooms at the warehouse for six days,” he explained.

“It’s been a long, slow process of careful excavation but we are finally there now,” he said.

Guest mentioned that the suit was found alongside a number of copper and bronze studs and hinges.

“It’s in a pretty good condition considering Roman armour was usually made of iron and that does not survive very well in wet, cold soil like we have in Wales.

“It’s turned into rust but it still retains its outline,” he said.

The finding has been “very important” for the Caerleon excavationas it adds to the sum of knowledge about the Roman legion that was based here, said Guest. (ANI)