Discovery of Iron Age Port in Baltic Sea Fuelling Imaginings of More Roman Activity

In April 2023, news began to circulate that coins from the Roman Empire had been discovered on a remote island in the Baltic Sea. The two silver coins minted in A.D. 128 to 161 and A.D. 98 to 117 thrilled historians who simply didn’t have a conclusion as to how the coins got so far north. Not even heraldry traditions from the Roman Empire made it to Latvia! Since the discovery between Sweden and Estonia, research by Stockholm’s Södertörn University has continued, with another expedition launched soon after the discovery of the coins.

On September 19, 2023, researchers from the university and beyond announced further findings at the site of the coin discoveries. Now, there’s evidence of a port thought to have been in use around 2,000 years ago and potentially by seal hunters. The encampment where people would, in theory, pull their boats onto land was dated using the carbon-14 method and has now been fully excavated. With more excavations planned, intrigue in the potential for Romans coming this far north has flared up once again.

Roman Empire remains a hugely intriguing point in history

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Despite the stacks of records that we have about the Roman Empire, there are still plenty of little mysteries that surround one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. Naturally, their progress and feats changed each part of the world that they touched and beyond. The Roman Empire’s aqueduct system, for example, did wonders for society in the ancient world, and their grand structures at home that inspired great conquests abroad continue to be a great source of creative inspiration.

If any creative wants an instantly recognizable setting that promises political intrigue and action, they turn to the days of ancient Rome. It’s part of the reason why Rome: Fight for Gold Deluxe from Games Global remains such a hit at the betting site. The slot game released in February 2023 sets the scene in the middle of the great Colosseum.

Of course, the entertainment product that’s transported modern enthusiasts to the glory days of Rome  is Gladiator. Released in 2000, it remains one of the most praised historical movies ever made. It went big at the Academy Awards and collected over $450 million at the worldwide box office. It’s even going to get a sequel set for release in November 2024. On TV, Domina recently enjoyed a well-received run, as did the German production Barbaren (Barbarians) on Netflix. The Roman Empire remains a hugely popular topic, so discoveries of more Roman artifacts in the Baltic Sea will always pique interest.

Could the Roman Empire have made it to the Baltic region?

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The Roman Empire was notoriously prevalent in Germania, bringing local tribes under the rule of Rome, taxing them, and moving ever westwards. However, very little has been recorded or confirmed for Rome’s ventures into what are now the Baltic nations and the Baltic Sea. Being accessible from the north of modern-day Germany, it’d make sense that the Romans ventured out across the chilly waters.

One of the primary sources suggesting that Rome came to Latvia, Lithuania, and perhaps Estonia, is the writings of senator Publius Cornelius Tacitus. So, the discovery of the coins on the uninhabited island of Gotska Sandön raises additional questions. North Germanic tribes that had limited contact with Rome could be the reason why the coins got to the island, where regular visits were thought to have been made by virtue of the discovery of the port. Still, it seems like Rome’s steely boot didn’t firmly entrench itself in the region – as far as we currently know.

A different empire to worry about

They say that the Baltic states and Poland often manage to be brought together when it comes to history, and one way in which this has been true is in the case of the invasions of the 13th century. While the Holy Roman Empire did claim territory east of the Oder River in Poland, both modern-day Poland and Lithuania were rampaged through by the Mongol Empire.

An army feared by Europeans as an almost apocalyptic coming, it was the first Mongol invasion of the continent commanded by the grandsons of Genghis Khan, Kadan, and Batu Khan, that brought them to Poland as part of a two-pronged attack. The invasion of Poland saw the army then venture into eastern Germany, which is when they ventured into Roman lands. In the late 13th century, Mongol armies made more of an effort in their Lithuanian conquests, but never made it a priority to conquer.

We may not yet know the full extent of the Roman Empire’s potential ventures into the Baltic region, but for now, there’s very little to go off of, even with the extraordinary discoveries on Gotska Sandön.