A 2,000-year-old fig tree of Roman origin was discovered in Ireland (4 photos)

Scientists in Ireland have discovered the charred remains of a 2,000-year-old fig tree. The find suggests a Roman presence on an island that was considered out of reach for the colonial empire.





A fort once stood at Drumanach Point, north of Dublin on the Irish Sea. It served as a link between the Emerald Isle and England, which 2,000 years ago was under the control of the Roman Empire. However, the colonizers were not believed to be interested in this territory.



At Drumanach, a team from University College Dublin found a fragment of black fruit that didn't immediately impress them. They later saw seeds and eventually identified it as a fig.

"Fig seeds dating back to the 13th century have been found in medieval Dublin, Cork and other cities," says researcher Meriel McClatchy. "The Drumanach specimen is unique in Ireland and is the oldest example of the exotic fruit found here."

Also found was a significant amount of spelt, a grain that was once rare in Ireland but a staple in Roman Britain.





"We now know that there were imports of not just goods but lifestyles," says Christine Baker, an archaeologist at Fingal County Council.

"People were eating spelt bread, they had olive oil and figs, they were drinking wine from glass vessels and delicate ceramic cups, they were wearing brooches and glass beads," Baker added.

Figs were first grown in eastern Turkey and northern India. The ancient world's trade routes brought them to the Mediterranean, where they were introduced to the Romans.

While figs are known to have been a part of the Roman diet, there is no previous evidence that the small, fleshy fruit spread beyond their own colonial holdings.



McClatchie said: "It's amazing to think that people in Ireland were enjoying such exotic foods so long ago."

Researchers believe that figs and grains reached Ireland via the Roman city of Chester/Wirral.

The first Roman colony on the English island was Colchester, founded in 49 CE. London - then called Londinium - was founded in 70 CE.