# Scotland exhibition reveals Roman altars and military life beyond Hadrian’s Wall

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/what-did-the-romans-ever-give-scotland-heated-floors-flashy-sandals-sun-gods-and-a-lot-of-nails/
- Published: 2026-11-05T05:00:53+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T05:32:36+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/nov/05/what-did-the-romans-ever-give-scotland-heated-floors-flashy-sandals-sun-gods-and-a-lot-of-nails
- Topics: Art, Culture, UK, World

## Key points

- Inveresk was a major Roman military site.
- Newly displayed altars honour Mithras and the sun god Sol.
- Finds reveal Roman religion, trade and daily life in Scotland.

## Summary

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland explores the Roman presence in Scotland, challenging the idea that Roman influence stopped at Hadrian’s Wall. Its centrepiece includes two fragile altars found at Inveresk, which point to a substantial military installation there and offer a glimpse of the soldiers’ religious life.

Made around 140 CE for a temple dedicated to Mithras and Sol, the sandstone altars were buried in antiquity and have taken years to conserve. Other Inveresk finds include a Rhône wine barrel, inscribed pottery, an enamel bowl, a bronze cauldron and evidence of heated floors and leather footwear. The site may have been important during Emperor Antoninus Pius’s campaign to extend Roman control to the Antonine Wall.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.