Bronze leg from Scottish bog rewrites Roman history in the Borders
A gilded bronze leg discovered in a Scottish bog in 1820 is now identified as part of a giant statue of Emperor Antoninus Pius, erected near Hawick around AD 140. This finding, central to a new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, challenges the long-held belief that the artifact was looted from York. Instead, it suggests the Romans maintained a significant cultural and military presence in southern Scotland, leaving behind monumental art that influenced local Celtic and Pictish cultures long after their withdrawal.
