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words by Carol King Archaeologists have uncovered a Roman village at a site in Devon, England, that has changed how experts view Roman Britain. Sam Moorhead, National Adviser for Iron Age and Roman Coins at the British Museum, told the BBC that he believed the site was “one of the most significant Roman discoveries in the country for many decades.” The site came to light four years ago, when two metal-detector enthusiasts found some Roman coins in fields at Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot. Some 100 coins have been discovered since, the oldest of which dates to 117 BC. A geophysical survey revealed the presence of underground archaeological features covering an area of more than 23 acres and excavations began. News site ‘This Is South Devon’ reports that so far, a Roman road, a square enclosure ditch of Roman date and several round houses occupied during the Iron Age have been discovered. Artefacts uncovered include Spanish amphorae and pottery shards that may be local imitations of decorated Roman samian ware pottery, indicating that Britons interacted with the Romans in the area. University of Exeter archaeologist and excavation project leader, Ioana Oltean, told ‘This Is South Devon’: “This site is the only large aggregated settlement in this rural part of Roman Britain. Previous to its discovery, it was thought that everybody outside Isca Dumnoniorum (Roman Exeter) was living in isolated farmsteads and without much contact with the Roman army or colonists. Ipplepen proves that this was not the case." The excavation is being funded by the British Museum, the University of Exeter, the Portable Antiquities Scheme and Devon County Council. Archaeologist Danielle Wootton told the BBC: “It’s probably going to take us a very long time for us to fully understand the nature of the settlement and how long it was occupied for.”