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| Sean Goddard from the University of Exeter on a Roman site which has been uncovered near Ipplepen in South Devon [Credit: This is Exeter] |
The ongoing excavations have revealed roadhouses, quarry pits, trackways and dwellings spread across an area encompassing 13 fields.
The dwellings are clearly not Roman, suggesting that Roman coins and pottery found are evidence of trade between the two people.
This could make the site one of the most significant discoveries in recent times, offering a rare opportunity for archeologists to study the relationship between the Romans and their indigenous neighbours.
A team of specialists, including the University of Exeter's Dr Ioana Oltean and Dr Martin Pitts, has been examining the site and discerning what the evidence could suggest Roman influence in the area.
Dr Oltean said: "It is not a Roman town, but a native village which may have been in existence before the Roman period.
"However it traded actively with the Romans, shown by the initial collection of coins found and the ornate pottery, usually found near large cities and military camps not in villages where most people… used basic wooden bowls."
She said there were indications "that an exchange in goods and money was happening in the area, on a much larger scale than known in other villages in Britain at this time."
Exeter, which was known as Isca Dumnoniorum in Roman times, was until recently considered the limit of Roman influence in the area.
Danielle Wootton, Devon finds liaison officer for the portable antiquities scheme (PAS), explained: "Previously there was little evidence of any Roman influence beyond the Roman city of Exeter.
"We are starting to see more evidence of Roman influence farther into Devon and Cornwall, through new discoveries such as Calstock (in South east Cornwall) and now this large Romano-British settlement.
"What is interesting on the site is that the inhabitants are still living in native roundhouses, as Britons had done for centuries before, so they are maintaining some traditional ways whilst adapting to the influence of the Roman Empire."
This information may challenge prevailing opinion of Roman hegemony in southern England, revealing co-operation between rulers and the subjugated population.
The excavations are ongoing and archaeologists are hoping to uncover more evidence.
Sam Moorhead, national finds adviser for Iron Age and Roman coins for the PAS at the British Museum, said:
"It is the beginning of a process that promises to transform our understanding of the Roman invasion and occupation of Devon."
Source: This is Exeter [August 21, 2012]