First-of-its kind fig found in Ireland unlocks new details about trading between the Roman Empire and Ireland

A fig dating back 2,000 years ago was found during excavations of Drumanagh in Dublin. The finding shines light on the foods that were traded between the Roman Empire and Ireland thousands of years ago. 

The 2,000-year-old fig is one of many items that have been unearthed during excavations in the area. Among other finds include metal and ceramic objects, as well as additional food remains, according to University College Dublin’s release about the ancient find. Food remains were able to stay preserved due to their burned condition. 

The ancient fig provides new insights into the goods traded between the Roman Empire and Ireland. 

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“Fig seeds dating to as far back as the 13th century have been recovered from excavations of medieval Dublin, Cork and other towns,” Professor Merial McClatchie, director of the UCD Ancient Foods research group at UCD School of Archaeology, said per the news release. 

The ancient find is a first-of-its kind for Ireland. 

“An actual fruit has never been found in Ireland until now, but what is most important about the Drumanagh fig is its antiquity. It is without parallel in Ireland and is by far the oldest example of an exotic fruit found here,” McClatchie said. 

Trade routes between the Roman Empire and Ireland allowed for the exchange of food. Before this find, it was unknown by researchers that figs made their way to Ireland thousands of years ago. 

The team involved in the Drumanagh excavation were able to unearth a range of ancient items at the location. (Christine Baker, Fingal County Council)

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“It’s thrilling to imagine someone enjoying such an exotic food here in Ireland so long ago,” McClatchie said, per the news release. 

The excavations of Drumanagh have been led by Christine Baker, Heritage officer and archaeologist at Fingal County Council. 

She and her team were able to unearth many ancient objects beyond food remains. All the finds together have helped researchers better understand how people in Ireland lived thousands of years ago. 

“Our excavations have revealed more of the story of those living and working at Drumanagh,” said Baker per the news release. “We now know there was an importation, not just of goods but of lifestyle. By these windswept cliffs people were consuming spelt bread, olive oil and figs, drinking from glass vessels and fine ceramic cups while wearing brooches and glass beads. The evidence so far points to a connection with Chester/Wirral area of Roman Britain during the first 200 years of the Roman conquest.” 

Pictured above is the charred fig found during the Drumanagh excavation. (Historic England)

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Ireland has been a location full of food-related finds through the years. Another recent example of an ancient find in Ireland came from County Donegal, where a farmer found a 60-pound slab of bog butter on his land by means he called “pure luck.” 

He found the bog butter after discovering a “cheesy” scent in the air. While bog butter is not considered an incredibly rare find in the area, with around 500 finds recorded in Ireland, it was more unique in its size. 

The 60-pound slab was described as one that could be “one of the biggest chunks of bog butter found in Ireland to date,” according to Paula Harvey, an archaeologist who visited the site, per The Irish News. 

“It was just by pure luck that we came across it,” Micheal Boyle, who found the bog butter said, per the Irish Examiner, explaining that he saw something in the ground, and was surrounded by a “cheesy smell,” leading him to quickly conclude what he had discovered.