National Museums Scotland News

history-and-archaeology1 day ago•2 min saved

New research reveals a giant Roman emperor statue once stood in southern Scotland

A bronze leg found in a Scottish bog in 1820 is now believed to be part of a giant statue of Emperor Antoninus Pius, erected in the Scottish Borders to celebrate his conquest of southern Scotland. This discovery, featured in a new exhibition at the National Museums Scotland, challenges previous assumptions that the artifact was looted from further south and suggests the Romans left a more significant cultural footprint in Scotland than previously thought.

via BBC|

#antoninus-pius #archaeology #history-and-archaeology

archaeology9 days ago•16 min saved

Virtual Face Reveals Identity of Headless Roman-Era Man Buried in Scotland

Researchers at National Museums Scotland and forensic anthropologist Christopher Rynn have digitally reconstructed the face of a man buried without his head near the Roman fort at Inveresk, Scotland, approximately 2,000 years ago. Isotopic analysis indicates the man likely grew up in southern Britain, while skeletal evidence suggests he suffered from a severe right-arm injury that prevented him from wielding a sword, implying he held a non-combat role within the Roman army. The burial, dated between A.D. 142 and 165, appears to have been dignified rather than punitive, suggesting post-mortem decapitation may have been a specific cultural ritual for some southern Britons. The reconstruction, which depicts the man with dark hair and eyes and no beard, will be displayed alongside the original remains in a new exhibition at the museum starting November 14, 2026.

via Live Science|

#archaeology #facial-reconstruction #forensic-anthropology