Scientists call it an archaeological breakthrough because the newly discovered ghost villages can provide a lot of data about the Roman occupation of England, with major cultural and political turning points.

The study was led by Dr. Manuel Fernández-Götz, Head of the Department of Archeology at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland – UK). The researchers used LiDAR, a laser reconnaissance method, to collect detailed radar images of the area around the famous Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland.

The results were absolutely shocking: Some 134 previously unknown Iron Age settlements, with many ruins of homes and farms, appeared ghostly in photographs of the Burnswark region adjacent to Hadrian’s Wall.

Hadrian was emperor of the Roman Empire from 117 to 138 AD. In the second half of his reign, in 122 AD, work on the construction of the wall named after him began.

Hadrian’s Wall represents the northernmost border of the Empire, which has been around for about 20 years. This was also the period when the newly discovered “ghost villages” existed.

From the safety and security of Hadrian’s Wall, the Romans expanded further North and built the Antonine Wall, which served as the newest Roman frontier at the North Pole. Construction began in AD 142 under the command of the next ruler Antonius Pius, and took 12 years to complete.

“This was one of the most interesting areas of the Empire, because Scotland was one of the very few regions in Western Europe where the Roman army never established full control” – Dr Fernández – Gotz said.

The discovery of the ruins of “ghost villages” will help provide details about the life of the people of this period, how civilization developed in the context of the Roman invasion but not really controlling the area. area.

The recent 1,500km2 study area is just one part of the overall project. Scientists estimate that there are about 700 similar settlements hidden beneath the proposed survey area stretching from between Durham and the Southern Scottish Highlands.