Archaeologists investigating an ancient Roman fort in western Wales say newly discovered coins could link the site to Magnus Maximus, a fourth-century emperor whose military camp near Frenni Fawr is remembered in a medieval Welsh legend.
Two Roman coins dating to the late fourth century were recovered from the site in Pembrokeshire, about 2 miles southwest of Frenni Fawr in the Preseli Hills. Archaeologist Mark Merrony, who identified the fort in 2024, believes the findings offer a new way to examine a story passed down for centuries.
The account appears in “The Dream of Macsen Wledig,” part of the “Mabinogion,” a collection of medieval Welsh tales. According to the legend, Maximus, known in Welsh as Macsen Wledig, dreamed of a beautiful woman named Elen and sent messengers to find her. He eventually traveled to Britain, where he found and married her.
The story later describes the emperor pitching camp near Frenni Fawr during a hunting expedition. The newly discovered coins add a late Roman connection to a site where earlier discoveries had already revealed evidence of a substantial military presence.
Merrony, a Roman specialist affiliated with the University of Oxford, first spotted the fort’s outline in satellite imagery. A Roman roofing tile found during a visit strengthened his identification.
Ancient Roman fort near Frenni Fawr offers clues to Magnus Maximus legend
The enclosure measures roughly 590 by 490 feet and may have accommodated about 500 soldiers. Its rounded corners and road layout resemble other Roman auxiliary forts.
Recent excavations have uncovered pottery, roofing material, an iron writing stylus, compacted clay floors and ruts left by wagon wheels. A geophysical survey also revealed the outlines of two large structures. Merrony believes they may have been a headquarters building and a commander’s residence.
Merrony said the fort’s location is particularly significant because of its proximity to the place described in the Welsh story. “If Magnus Maximus was there, there must have been an army there,” he said.
The two coins were found during the latest phase of archaeological work, supported by Oxford University and crowdfunding. Their late-fourth-century date has raised fresh interest in whether the fort was active during the period associated with Maximus.
Roman coins renew interest in Wales’ imperial past
Maximus was proclaimed emperor by troops in Britain in 383. He later ruled parts of the western Roman Empire before being defeated and executed in 388.
Merrony’s investigation follows his identification of a Roman road along the southern side of the Preseli Hills in 2022. Together, the discoveries have renewed attention on the extent of Roman military activity in western Wales.
The fort was initially thought to date from the first to third centuries. The newly recovered coins have encouraged researchers to examine its later history and possible connections to the emperor’s military presence in Britain.
Further excavations are planned, and Merrony intends to publish his findings in the archaeology magazine “Antiqvvs.” The discovery has brought new archaeological attention to a Welsh legend that has endured for centuries.
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