Bronze leg found in Scottish bog sheds new light on Roman occupation

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According to the Guardian, a large bronze leg found in a Scottish bog over 200 years ago and long hidden in a duke’s storeroom is helping to rewrite the history of the Roman empire. Antiquarians previously argued that the so-called Mislington leg had been looted by Scottish tribes. However, archaeologists now believe the gilded limb was part of a vast statue of the emperor Antoninus Pius, erected near Hawick around AD 140. Dr. Fraser Hunter, principal curator of the exhibition 'Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire' at the National Museum of Scotland, states that these findings prove the Romans were a far more significant force north of Hadrian’s Wall than previously realized. The exhibition features other artifacts, including Mithraic altars and horse remains, illustrating the profound impact of Roman culture on indigenous Celtic tribes and the subsequent emergence of new local identities.