Roman settlement and jewelry workshop from 2,000 years ago discovered beneath new housing development in Wales

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an extensive Roman-era settlement at Mancot in north-east Wales, including a workshop that produced decorative clothing brooches. Finds from the site include metal casting moulds, jewellery, pottery and coins. The discovery provides new insights into the region’s economy and the connections between Roman settlers and the local population.

The archaeological site is located in Flintshire, near the village of Mancot, between Hawarden and Queensferry. Its existence came to light during investigations by Heneb, an organisation responsible for protecting and researching Wales’s archaeological heritage. The remains were discovered during preliminary work ahead of the construction of new houses along Gladstone Way.

Before the housing development could proceed, archaeologists had the opportunity to investigate the site and recover numerous artefacts. The collection has been described as one of the largest assemblages of Roman artefacts discovered in Flintshire to date. Mapping of the site also revealed that the settlement extended beyond the area investigated, beneath parts of modern Mancot.

Workshop producing Roman brooches

One of the most interesting aspects of the discovery is a workshop where decorative brooches, known as fibulae, were manufactured. In the Roman world, these objects were primarily used to fasten clothing, but they also served as decorative accessories. Depending on their design and materials, they could range from relatively simple everyday items to carefully crafted ornaments.

Evidence of the workshop comes from the discovery of lead casting moulds. Their variety suggests that craftsmen produced several different types of brooches. Some featured elaborate decoration, with surfaces embellished with coloured enamel. Animal motifs were among the designs used.

One of the recovered brooches still retains traces of green enamel, despite significant corrosion to its metal body. It provides an interesting example of Roman craftsmanship, combining practical function with decorative appeal.

Archaeologists believe the workshop may have supplied people living in nearby Chester, an important centre in Roman Britain. Local production would suggest that the region was not merely a source of raw materials, but also a place where these materials were processed and turned into finished goods.

Settlement predating Roman conquest of Britain?

The origins of the settlement may date back to the Iron Age, before the Roman conquest of Britain. According to archaeologists, the site was occupied and used by successive generations over an extended period.

Two coins have provided important clues about its chronology. One dates to the reign of Emperor Commodus (177–192 AD), while the other depicts Constantine, who ruled approximately two centuries later.

The finds suggest that the area continued to be associated with settlement during the later Roman period. However, this does not mean that all the objects date from the same period or that the workshop operated continuously throughout these centuries.

Roman economic activity reached North Wales

The discovery is also significant for understanding the Roman presence in north-east Wales. Despite its proximity to Chester, one of the most important Roman military and urban centres in this part of Britain, relatively few remains indicating extensive Roman-era activity had previously been identified in the region.

This had prompted debate over whether the limited number of finds reflected a relatively restricted Roman presence and difficult relations with the local population.

The discoveries at Mancot, together with earlier archaeological investigations at Greenfield and Rossett, near Wrexham, suggest a more complex picture. The existence of a jewellery workshop using locally available metals points to developed economic activity and connections with larger settlements.

Fragments of pottery recovered from the site provide further evidence. Their analysis indicates trade links extending to continental Europe. Mancot was therefore not simply a settlement operating within a local economy, but was also connected to wider trading networks.

Finds will undergo further research

The recovered brooches and casting moulds have undergone conservation. The next stage will involve detailed analysis at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. Researchers hope to establish which techniques were used by ancient craftsmen, what metals they worked with and where the raw materials originated.

Once the research is complete, the artefacts are expected to return to the museum service in Flintshire County. Public display is being considered, and some of the most interesting objects could go on show at Mold Museum as early as 2027.