This Roman terret ring for holding chariot reins was found at Loudon Hill Roman Fort, in Ayrshire, Scotland, and was picked by Helen Green, third year student at the University of Glasgow (Single Honours Archaeology). Helen writes - Terret rings were attached to a chariot, to secure and guide the reins between where they were attached to the horse, and where they were held by the rider. The Romans had chariots before contact with Britain, but the British version Caesar found in use during the initial invasion of Britain in the 1st century BC was manoeuvrable and better-adapted to the rougher terrain of Britain and to warfare than the Romans' version. I chose this object because, for me, it connects the Romans to the Iron Age inhabitants of Britain. During the Roman occupation of Britain, constant cultural interchange was underway, with trade, marriage, exchange of ideas and recruitment linking the two sets of people - even at the far edge of the empire.
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