Roman coin found at Rousay dig site

Archaeologists in Orkney recently made an exciting discovery, as they unearthed a Roman coin.

The ancient copper alloy coin was found by teams working at the eroding beach at Swandro, in Rousay. It is believed to date from the mid-4th Century AD.

It was found at the site of a small roundhouse.

The Swandro site consists of a Neolithic chambered cairn, surrounded by a multi-period settlement mound with over a millennium of occupation — from the Middle Iron Age to the Norse period.

Co-director of the project at the Swandro site, Dr Steve Dockrill commented: “The bust on the coin is clearly visible although much of the lettering isn’t at present clear. The reverse contains a standing figure, possibly representing the emperor with what might an image of Victory at the side.”