Mysterious Roman fort discovered in remote area could prove ancient legend has roots in reality

An ancient Roman fort discovered in a remote part of Wales could help unravel a centuries-old legend about a Roman emperor — and may have accommodated as many as 1,000 soldiers, the archaeologist behind the discovery told Fox News Digital.The fort, located near Frenni Fawr in Pembrokeshire, was the subject of an October announcement by Wolfson College, Oxford, following recent excavations at the site.Mark Merrony, a fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford, and editor-in-chief of Antiqvvs, an archaeology magazine, first identified the fort using satellite imagery in 2024.AMERICA'S LITTLE-KNOWN CASTLES, DISPLAYING ‘RAW POWER,’ ARE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHTMore recent excavations uncovered two Roman coins from the late 4th century, suggesting activity at the site may have continued into the period when Emperor Magnus Maximus ruled Britain from 383 to 388 A.D.Merrony, who described the fort's location as being in the "middle of nowhere," told Fox News Digital the site could have accommodated significantly more soldiers than he initially estimated.The newly discovered Roman fort may have accommodated as many as 1,000 auxiliary soldiers, according to archaeologist Mark Merrony, pictured at right (Mark Merrony)"I've been saying 500 troops, but actually it's bigger than the housesteads on Hadrian's Wall, which held 1,000 troops," he said."So it could have held up to 1,000 auxiliary Roman soldiers."ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER MASSIVE ANCIENT SITE DURING RAIL PROJECT, INCLUDING RARE ROMAN FINDExcavations also uncovered numerous Roman artifacts, including ceramic roofing tiles and what Merrony believes could be floor tiles or materials used for underfloor heating.Despite the attention surrounding the 4th century coins, Merrony believes the fort itself is more significant.The Roman fort's remote location near Frenni Fawr has intrigued archaeologists investigating its possible connection to Emperor Magnus Maximus, depicted at right.(Mark Merrony; Pictures From History/Universal Images G...