Roman Fort Unearthed Near Frenni Fawr Validates Magnus Maximus Legend

Archaeologists led by Dr Mark Merrony of the University of Oxford identified a previously unknown Roman auxiliary fort about two miles (3.5 km) southwest of the easternmost peak of the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire. Satellite imagery revealed a rectangular outline in an overgrown field, and a Roman tile found on-site confirmed the military nature of the enclosure. The fort measures roughly 180 by 150 metres on a slope that commands the surrounding landscape and is estimated to have housed around 500 troops.

The Guardian

Medieval Welsh tales collected in the *Mabinogion* recount that the fourth-century Roman emperor Magnus Maximus (Welsh: Macsen Wledig) pitched his camp at “Frenni Fawr.” Until now, the story had rested on folklore with no archaeological corroboration.

The Guardian

An iron stylus, numerous pottery shards, large quantities of Roman tiles, compacted clay floors, and preserved wagon rut marks have also been recovered. The presence of two late-fourth-century coins further links the site to the period of Magnus Maximus’s rule.

The Guardian

—mirrors typical Roman military planning and supports the hypothesis of a Roman presence linked to the legend. He noted that the discovery overturns the assumption that the local Celtic tribe maintained peaceful relations with Roman invaders and expands knowledge of Roman activity deep into Wales.

The Guardian

• “This arrangement is consistent with the placement of a headquarters building orientated east and thereby ‘facing the enemy’, and a commander’s house,” — Mark Merrony, a leading Roman specialist at the University of Oxford

The Guardian