A taste of Rome – Discovery of a 2000-year-old fig reveals Ireland’s ancient international food trade
Fig 1. The charred fig from the Drumanagh excavation; Credit: Historic England.
Fig images 1 and 2 were photographed at a Historic England laboratory using an AHRC-funded
Keyence VHX7000 3-D digital microscope at x 30 magnification (AHRC Award AH/V011758/1)
The discovery of a 2000-year-old fig in North Dublin highlights Ireland’s long history of international
food trade and a taste for exotic foods.
The fig was unearthed from an archaeological excavation at a headland in Drumanagh, where an
important trading post with the Roman Empire was located.
A wide variety of goods arrived here, and the discovery of a large, charred fragment of a fig fruit
reveals tantalising evidence of an exotic food traded between the Roman Empire and Ireland.
“Fig seeds dating to as far back as the 13th century have been recovered from excavations of
medieval Dublin, Cork and other towns,” said Associate Professor Meriel McClatchie, Director of the
UCD Ancient Foods research group at UCD School of Archaeology.
“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.”
At its height, the Roman Empire ruled much of Europe, and parts of Western Asia and North Africa.
Its power did not extend into Ireland, however. The establishment of extensive trading routes within
the Empire allowed Roman cuisine to become widely available, including new herbs and spices, nuts
such as almonds, and fruits such as grapes, dates and figs.
According to Associate Professor McClatchie while figs were traded across the Empire “we did not
know until now that they made it all the way to Ireland”.
“Finds of fig elsewhere in northern Europe are thought to reflect imports from southern Europe, and
it is likely that this new Irish discovery travelled a similar distance. It’s thrilling to imagine someone
enjoying such an exotic food here in Ireland so long ago.”
The excavations at Drumanagh are led by Christine Baker, the Heritage Officer/Archaeologist at Fingal
County Council. Her team have uncovered extensive evidence for craft and domestic activities,
including metal and ceramic objects that originated in Roman Spain, Gaul and Britain, as well as
objects that reflect locally based activities.
The site has also yielded the remains of foods eaten there almost 2000 years ago. This material
survived because it was burnt, which enabled its preservation. Analysis by Associate Professor
McClatchie at UCD has also revealed the presence of significant quantities of spelt wheat, a cereal
that was rare in Ireland's past but was a staple of Roman Britain.
"Our excavations have revealed more of the story of those living and working at Drumanagh,” said
Christine Baker. “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.”
