About Cornwall

The unearthing of a third Roman fort in Cornwall is a major find.

Pieces of pottery have been discovered, and archaeologists from the University of Exeter are trying to establish why the Romans were there.

Click on the link below for a gallery of pictures from the site:

One theory is they could have been using Cornish minerals, including smelting silver.

BBC Cornwall's Michael Taylor went along to see what he could dig up:

The Roman site is on top of a hill in Calstock. It's an area known to have been involved with silver mining in medieval times.

Items discovered at the fort

University archaeologists became interested in the site when they found references in medieval documents to the smelting of silver 'at the old castle' and 'next to the church' in Calstock.

The team started digging and uncovered the unique and instantly-recognisable shape of a Roman military ditch, confirming their find as a Roman fort.

"When I first saw the results from the geophysical survey, suggesting the outline of a Roman fort, I could hardly believe my eyes," smiles University of Exeter archaeologist Dr Stephen Rippon.

"As an archaeologist it is so rare to find something so significant, which was previously entirely unknown. It’s a very exciting discovery."

The team of excavators, led by University of Exeter research fellow Chris Smart, has also dug up pottery, believed to be from the first century AD. Perhaps the most intriguing finds, though, are the remains of furnaces, possibly related to silver working.

The village of Calstock

The team will now use radiocarbon dating techniques to establish the age of these finds. If they are Roman, this will show for the first time the Romans' interest in exploiting Cornish minerals.

Very little is known about the Roman occupation in Cornwall, so this discovery could mark an important step in piecing together this period of history.

The two other known sites of Roman forts in Cornwall are also in the South East of the county. One was discovered last year near Restormel Castle, Lostwithiel, and the other is at Nanstallon, near Bodmin. Both sites are close to mineral deposits in areas associated with tin mining.

This research project was funded by the Leverhulme Trust with additional support from the University of Exeter.