In 2024, archaeologists at a site along Hadrian's Wall in northern Britain have made a breakthrough discovery that can reveal much about religion and daily life on Rome's northernmost frontier.
Located about 1,140 miles from the eternal city of Rome and its variety of activities, Hadrian's Wall was a Roman military outpost that guarded the border from the Celts to the north and marked the end of Roman territory.
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Built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 CE, this wall is one of the most iconic architectural emblems of the Roman Empire, and has been the subject of documentaries and fiction stories alike well into the 21st century. Some people even hike the length of this ancient wall!
In this article, you'll learn all about the incredible archaeological discovery made at this iconic site, and why it's so important.
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The 2024 Discovery At Carlisle's Roman Bathhouse
The Carlisle site along Hadrian's Wall was discovered by accident during construction in 2017
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In 2024, a discovery made along Hadrian's Wall helped archaeologists better understand life at this iconic Roman site. The location of the discovery, Carlisle's Roman Bathhouse, has already yielded a large number of objects related to daily life for the Romans.
Located on the property of the Carlisle Cricket Club, this site was one of several archaeological discoveries found during construction. When the club wanted to put in a new flood-proof cricket pavilion, workers quickly realized that an ancient site lay right under their feet.
An investigation showed that this site was once a Roman bathhouse during the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE.
Excavations began in 2017, and have continued into 2023 and 2024. In summer 2024, a new discovery was made at Carlisle's Roman Bathhouse that revealed much about the way Roman religion was practiced in Rome's northernmost frontier. This discovery is an intaglio depicting the god Silvanus.
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Lead excavator:
Frank Giecco
Site:
Carlisle's Roman Bathhouse
Location:
Carlisle Cricket Club
What Is An Intaglio?
Intaglios are stunning works of Roman art, but their significance goes beyond beauty
An intaglio is a picture engraved onto a precious gem, often circular and small. Today, when one sees Roman intaglios in museums, it's easy to be struck by their beauty.
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These tiny gems are so ornately carved that it often leaves tourists and archaeologists alike wondering how the ancients did it without advanced technology. These gems would often be set in rings or other jewelry and used to adorn Romans who had the means to afford such a treasure.
Intaglios were more than just beautiful rocks, though. For the Romans, they served important purposes in daily life. Looking good was more than just a fashion statement for the Ancient Romans; the way that one dressed often reflected on their social and economic status. A beautiful stone like this would signal to the world that this Roman was one of wealth, status, or importance.
But the significance of intaglios didn't stop there! The Romans also used them in another capacity: identity. Personalized jewelry such as these weren't just displays of wealth and beauty, but were used to identify who you were. They often functioned as signets and seals.
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In order to sign off on important documents, the Romans would ask someone to impress their signet ring into wet clay or warm wax. The carved symbols on the ring would become embossed in the clay or wax, leaving an impression made by the person who bore the ring. Possession of a ring like this would be seen as an important way to identify someone, the way a signature or a drivers' license is used today.
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Often depicting religious or mythological scenes, figures, and creatures, intaglios can tell historians and archaeologists a lot about Roman beliefs. They could also serve as protective amulets that would give the wearer good luck, protection, guidance, or a connection with their spiritual patron.
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Who Was Silvanus?
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The god depicted on this intaglio is Silvanus, the Roman god of the forest and the wild. He would have helped the Romans protected their flocks and livestock, guarded against wolves and other wild creatures, and would have helped promote the land's agricultural health.
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His cult would have been almost exclusively male-oriented according to Cato the Elder in De Agri Cultura section 83. It's no surprise, then, that someone from Hadrian's Wall (perhaps a soldier or an officer) might have had this stone.
Roman Religion At Hadrian's Wall
The intaglio can tell us much about religion at Hadrian's Wall
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This new find tells us much about the way that Roman religion was practiced at Hadrian's Wall. This impressive and great monument built by Emperor Hadrian was a place where many different religions met. When the Romans came to this region, they brought with them many of their own deities that are familiar with modern people, such as Mars and Fortuna.
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They also brought with them other religions, too, like Mithraism (a secretive cult practiced by male Romans, especially soldiers, based around a sun-god). Also present along Hadrian's Wall would have been indigenous Celtic religions. The goddess Brigantia (connected to both the Celtic Brigantes Tribe and the goddess Brigit) was worshiped here, too, alongside these newly imported deities.
This intaglio tells historians that the god Silvanus was also worshiped here, too, by at least one devotee. Professor Martin Henig is quoted by Express as noting that Silvanus was not a commonly worshiped deity in Roman Britain during this time. Rather, a more localized form of him, Silvanus Cocidius, was worshiped in his stead.
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If This Intaglio Was So important, How And Why Did It Get Lost?
Going to the bathhouse in Roman times often resulted in lost property, whether through thievery or accident
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Before archaeologists dig up material from the ground, it had to get there somehow in the first place. At most archaeological sites, a find like this would be a rare occurrence, and for good reason. An important object like this isn't often lost or thrown away. So how did an intaglio with this level of design end up at the Carlisle site?
The answer is simultaneously surprisingly humorous and sad for the original owner. The Carlisle site was once a bathhouse. Roman people loved to bathe, and in the absence of widespread indoor plumbing in army barracks and personal homes, the bathhouse was where people took baths.
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When someone went to the bathhouse in Roman times, they'd put their clothes in a cubby guarded by a bath attendant. Even though this was a common practice, there was a pervasive fear and unfortunate reality that one's clothes and/or valuables might get stolen while they're in the bath. Some wealthy Romans had slaves to guard their belongings while in the bath, but most didn't.
So, for those who wore important signet rings like this one, taking off one's important ring and leaving it in the bath cubby might not be a good idea. Plus, if the intaglio was meant to be a protective amulet, it wouldn't have been a great idea for a Roman to take it off and leave it behind. Thus, they would've worn it into the bath with them.
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This seems innocent enough...until you realize that Roman intaglio rings and jewelry were set into the metal with a glue that's vegetable based, which dissolves and loosens in water.
One can only imagine the heart-stopping anxiety some Romans must've felt when they realized their precious intaglio signet stone had become loose in the bathhouse and had fallen down the drain. That must've been a terrible day! It's facts like this that aren't commonly depicted in history books about the Ancient Romans.
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What Else Has Been Discovered At Carlisle?
The Silvanus stone isn't the only intaglio found at Carlisle's Roman bathhouse
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Many incredible discoveries have been found here, and the gorgeous intaglio of Silvanus is just the tip of the iceberg.
A total of 70 other intaglios have been found here. They depict a range of deities, mythological scenes, and creatures.
This cache of intaglios is so bountiful that it's actually the biggest number of them found in any one spot in Britain, according to the dig's official site.
One of the most fascinating things about these intaglios is that, based on their size, archaeologists know that some were worn (and lost!) by children. Just imagine being a little Roman kid trying to explain to your mom that you lost your very expensive, protective signet stone at the bath!
Other discoveries here include a large number of busts, a clump of Tyrian Purple dye (as reported by the Cumberland Council), and a Roman road (as reported by the BBC).
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