Urbanism in Roman Wales: A New Look at Roman Carmarthen

Moridunum, which lies under modern Carmarthen, is one of only two civitas capitals known in Wales, the other being Caerwent. Excavations undertaken by Archaeology Wales in 2018 afforded a rare opportunity to excavate within the town and add to our knowledge of Roman urbanism in Wales. The results of the excavations combined with previous evidence have shown that it is likely that the origins of Moridunum lie in the Trajanic period, earlier than previously thought. The town then developed organically, with little evidence of a planned settlement until the middle of the second century AD. Occupation across the site continued into the fourth century, with the remains of a number of buildings and street surfaces being recorded. Although located close to the western edge of the Empire, the evidence suggests Moridunum was little different to other Romano-British towns. Products from across the Empire were bought and sold, new styles of dress were adopted, along with new ways of eating. As part of this, new food products were introduced, including beet and fennel, their discovery here being a first for Roman Wales. This paper will discuss the results of the excavation and explore what they add to our knowledge of the development of urbanism in Roman Wales.