A Roman road dating to the 1st century was unearthed in a garden near Stirling, Scotland. The road, city officials said Thursday, was used by centuries of leaders, including the real Macbeth.
Historical figures who used the road included Scottish kings such as Macbeth and Robert the Bruce and English leaders Henry VIII, William the Conqueror and Oliver Cromwell. William Wallace of “Braveheart” fame also used the road, Stirling officials said.
“It is the most important road in Scottish history, so it’s an amazing discovery. To literally walk where Wallace and Bruce went, let alone the Romans, Picts and Vikings, is astonishing. It has also never been clear before this find where this road ran,” Stirling Council archaeologist Murray Cook said in a release.
Jennifer Ure, who resides at the cottage that contains the garden where the road was unearthed, said in the release, “It’s amazing to think the likes of William the Conqueror and King Henry VIII had walked through where our garden is now — not many people can say that! … When the road was found, I couldn’t help but feel excited, especially given its significance.”
What archaeologists found was the worn-down and eroded surface of the road, which was not maintained after the Roman period.
The road was built by the legions of Gen. Gnaeus Julius Agricola during his term as governor of Roman Britain, or Britannia, from A.D. 77 to 85.
In the centuries following the fall of Rome, successive generations of leaders in the area used the road, as well as invading armies. Stirling, close to where the road was found, was at one time the capital of Scotland.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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