It's been suggested that the Iron Age village recently discovered near Elgin could possibly have been burned down by Roman legionaries.

The settlement was uncovered during pre-quarrying investigations at Lochinver Quarry to the south west of the town.

Archaeologists have found 35 buildings at the site, together with iron furnaces, storage pits and timber enclosures.

Radiocarbon dating has revealed that the settlement was hit by fire at around the same time as the battle of Mons Graupius in AD83.

Meanwhile, there is also evidence of valuable household possessions being buried in the ground.

Dr Clive Waddington of Archaeological Research Services Ltd is the director of the site.

He said: "This is a rare and important site which provides an exciting opportunity to further understanding of later prehistoric life, early metalworking and the impact of Rome in the far north of Britain.

"This is a topic that is still relatively poorly understood and one that is in need of new evidence, such as that discovered at Lochinver, to shed new light on these important, though neglected, parts of our history."

The Battle of Mons Graupius took place in north-east Scotland between an invading Roman army and the local inhabitants who were led by Calgacus, who's said to have been their king.

Its exact location remains unknown at present, but it's thought likely to have been somewhere along the Moray coastal plain.

The battle is described by the Roman writer Tacitus in his book ‘Agricola’, which was penned as a tribute to his father-in-law of that name who was both the Governor of Britannia and the leader of the Roman forces.

According to Tacitus, the encounter was an overwhelming victory for Rome.

However, there were political reasons that may have led him to exaggerate its significance.

What cannot be denied is that the Roman forces retreated from northern Scotland shortly afterwards.

Some of the building found at the quarry belong to the Bronze Age and date back as far as 1500BC.

But the 25 buildings found this year mostly belong to the Iron Age (700BC-AD100).

Many of these are roundhouses which have upright timbers supporting a thatched conical roof.

The extensive metalworking activities found at the site are also proving a cause for excitement.

Dr Fraser Hunter from the National Museums Scotland said: "The results from the Lochinver excavations will make us rethink our views of Iron Age industries.

"Iron was a fundamental raw material for tools and weapons, but its production on this scale is absolutely remarkable – far beyond what any one settlement would need.

"It seems the first industrial revolution around the Moray Firth took place in the Iron Age."

The investigations are being carried in conjunction with Tarmac, who are providing much of the funding, and Aberdeenshire Council.

They have been further supported by the radiocarbon dating at University of Glasgow and specialist artefact conservation at University of Durham.

Source: northern-scot.co.uk