Archaeologists discover signs of Roman industrial hub at site in Sunderland

Roman industrial hub unearthed in Sunderland, shedding light on Britain's forgotten past

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery at an Offerton site near Sunderland, uncovering evidence of a previously unknown Roman industrial hub. The find is being hailed as one of the most significant discoveries in northern England for over a century.

Researchers have found over 800 whetstones - stone bars used to sharpen bladed tools and weapons - at the site on the banks of the River Wear. What's more astonishing is that hundreds, possibly thousands, more whetstones are believed to be buried beneath the riverbank, waiting to be unearthed. Whetstones were a staple in the Roman empire, with every soldier requiring one.

The Offerton site is thought to have been a production hub for whetstones using sandstone quarried on the north bank of the river and transported to the southern, flatter bank to be crafted into bars. This theory is supported by 11 stone anchors found at the site - the largest number discovered at any northern European river site.

The discovery puts Sunderland firmly on the Roman map for the first time, with Gary Bankhead, project leader and honorary fellow of Durham University, stating that it's a "staggering" find. The fact that all recorded whetstones are damaged suggests that they were transported away from Offerton, leaving behind only the off-cuts.

This significant discovery will rewrite our understanding of Roman Britain, with Eleri Cousins, assistant professor in Roman archaeology at Durham University, describing it as an "exciting discovery" that could make a "significant addition to our understanding of manufacturing and industry in Roman Britain".

Local officials are also celebrating the find, with Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland city council, saying that it shines a new light on the role Sunderland may have played in the Roman empire. He added that this has been a remarkable effort by all involved and that he's sure he speaks for the entire city when saying they can't wait to learn more about what this research reveals.

OMG, I knew those history buffs at Durham University were onto something! The fact that they found 800 whetstones at Offerton site is already mind-blowing, but think about it, hundreds or thousands more down there... it's like the Roman Empire was setting up a whole industry in Sunderland without us knowing! And all those stone anchors supporting this theory? Game. Changer. I'm low-key excited to see how this discovery changes our understanding of Roman Britain. It's not just about whetstones, though - it's about the economic and social implications of the empire's presence in Sunderland. Can't wait for more info on this!

just imagine being able to walk along the river wear and see ancient roman workers crafting whetstones from scratch i mean, it's crazy to think that our cities have been hiding such an important piece of history for so long... 800 whetstones is no joke! they must've been working day and night to keep those soldiers armed. the fact that all the original whetstones are damaged is wild, like they were too valuable to be kept in one place . can you imagine what other secrets this riverbank might hold?

I mean, an entire industrial hub just... waiting there? Like it was just chillin' under the riverbank, waiting for us to come along and find out? And 800 whetstones is a whole lotta sharpening going on. Can you imagine being a Roman soldier, just wandering around with a dull sword ? Anyway, I guess this is kinda cool? Sunderland's getting all the love now, might as well enjoy it while it lasts...

omg, this is so cool! ️️‍ i mean, who knew Sunderland was part of ancient Roman history? the fact that there's a whole industrial hub just waiting to be explored is mind-blowing! like, whetstones were super important for the Romans and they must've been producing them left & right. and can u believe there are hundreds more buried beneath the riverbank? it's like a treasure trove of history waiting to be uncovered! i'm literally shaking with excitement for all the researchers involved, you guys are legends!

I mean, think about it... Romans were everywhere, but we never really knew much about Sunderland's connection to them . I was talking to my grandpa last week and he told me that his great-granddad used to work at the shipyard in Sunderland. He said they found Roman coins in the old warehouses when they were renovating them. It's crazy to think that whetstones were being made right there near where my family lived all those years ago .

I remember visiting my sister who lives in the north east for summer holidays and we went to explore some of the museums and historical sites together. I was fascinated by how little I knew about the history of Sunderland, even though it's so close to London . This discovery is like a big puzzle piece falling into place – it's amazing to think that our understanding of Roman Britain is going to change forever .

I'm excited to see what more archaeologists and historians dig up next . Who knows, maybe we'll find out even more secrets about Sunderland's role in the Roman empire .

I'm not surprised to see this discovery, considering how much is still unknown about Britain's past . The fact that whetstones were transported away from Offerton and left behind only the off-cuts suggests they might have been used as a commodity in trade . It's also interesting that there are hundreds, possibly thousands more buried beneath the riverbank - it's like the Romans were trying to keep secrets . I'd love to see more excavation done to uncover what else is hiding beneath the surface .

just wow, another piece of the UK's forgotten past is being dug up . i mean, who knew Sunderland was part of roman Britain? it's crazy to think that there were hundreds of whetstones buried beneath the riverbank, just waiting for someone like these archaeologists to come along and uncover them . it's not every day you get a discovery that sheds new light on an entire region, especially one that's been overshadowed by bigger cities in the UK. i'm curious to know more about how this will change our understanding of roman Britain and its manufacturing industries .

dude I'm loving this discovery at Offerton site in Sunderland ! I mean, who knew the Romans were into whetstones like that? it's crazy to think that there are hundreds of thousands of them buried beneath the riverbank just waiting to be found . and can you believe they were using sandstone from the north bank to craft them into bars? that's some serious industrial action . I'm also stoked that Sunderland is finally getting some recognition on the Roman map - it's about time we knew more about this city's history . I hope the researchers keep digging and uncovering more secrets about life in Roman Britain . this discovery is definitely going to rewrite the history books, for sure!

OMG, I'm literally speechless! I mean, who knew Sunderland was secretly a Roman industrial hub?! It's like, I've always thought of it as just a normal city in the North East, but now I feel like there's so much more to it. All these whetstones and stone anchors... it's crazy to think that our ancestors were busy sharpening swords and tools over a thousand years ago! The fact that they had this whole production system set up on the banks of the River Wear is mind-blowing. It just goes to show how clever and resourceful the Romans were, and I'm so excited to learn more about it. Can't wait for the next archaeological dig in Sunderland...

Just heard about this insane discovery in Sunderland ! I mean, who knew the Romans were into sharpening tools as much as we are today? 800 whetstones and possibly thousands more buried beneath the riverbank?! That's like finding a whole new treasure trove of history right there. It's crazy to think that every soldier needed one - talk about practicality! And can you imagine the process of transporting those sandstone blocks from the north bank to the south? That's some serious engineering skills right there . This discovery is gonna rewrite the books on Roman Britain for sure, and I'm here for it!

I mean, can you believe it?! A whole Roman industrial hub just chillin' in Sunderland, England? Like, who knew our northern cousins were into whetstone production? 800 whetstones already found and there's gotta be more under that riverbank waiting to be discovered... talk about a treasure trove of history! The fact that these stones were used by soldiers, like, literally every single one of 'em, is wild. It just goes to show how important whetstones were back in the day. Now we get to rewrite our understanding of Roman Britain and see what other secrets are buried beneath those riverbanks... I'm hyped!

I'm surprised people didn't know about this before, I mean, it's not like it was hidden or anything . But seriously, an industrial hub? That's massive. Like, we should've known that Sunderland played a role in Roman Britain, I guess I just wasn't aware of the whetstone thingy, but now I am . 800 stones found is no joke, and the fact that there could be hundreds more beneath the riverbank is mind-blowing. This changes everything, basically. Can you imagine what else they might've found? Maybe some ancient Roman streets or buildings? The possibilities are endless, I guess .

omg, can you believe it?! Sunderland's history just got a whole lot more lit! I mean, who knew our North East hometown had such an epic connection to the Roman empire? 800 whetstones is crazy, like what even was the point of all that sharpening? but for real, this discovery is giving me all the feels. I love how it's rewriting history books and making us rethink what we thought we knew about Roman Britain. Sunderland's on the map now, baby!

I mean, think about it... we've always been told the Romans conquered Britain, but what if there was actually an entire industrial hub right in Sunderland? Like, who knew our North East was so pivotal to Roman history? This discovery is crazy! The fact that they used sandstone from the north bank to craft whetstones and then transported them downstream makes total sense. And can you imagine the impact this must have had on trade and commerce back in the day? It's mind-blowing how much we still don't know about Roman Britain, and now we're getting a glimpse into their manufacturing side. This is why I love archaeology - it's like solving a historical puzzle!

I'm so stoked about this discovery! I mean, who knew Sunderland was like, super connected to ancient Rome? The thought of those whetstones being made from sandstone quarried on the north bank and then transported down to be crafted into bars is mind-blowing. It's crazy to think that we've been missing out on this info for so long! I love how this discovery is gonna rewrite our understanding of Roman Britain, and it's awesome that it's giving Sunderland a chance to shine . The fact that there might be more whetstones buried beneath the riverbank? That's just too cool . Can't wait for us to learn more about what all these experts are saying!

This is mental ! I mean, we always knew the Romans were into stuff like whetstones, but to think there was an entire industrial hub in Sunderland... it's crazy ! And the fact that most of the records are damaged, so they had to get rid of them, that's wild . Can you imagine walking along the River Wear and seeing all those whetstones just lying around? It's like something out of a movie .

I'm intrigued by how this changes our understanding of Roman Britain... I mean, we knew they were into trade and stuff, but to see this level of production going on in Sunderland is mind-blowing . And it's great that the city council is hyped about it - they should be ! This is exactly what we need more of in history - fresh discoveries like this that make us go "wow" .

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out... will there be museums, exhibits, the works? And can you imagine all the historians and archaeologists queuing up to study this site in person . This is seriously a game-changer!

I don’t usually comment but... I’m totally blown away by this discovery! I mean, who knew Sunderland was so connected to ancient Rome? It’s crazy to think that these whetstones were all over the Roman empire and now we know they came from this specific site in Sunderland. The fact that there are thousands more buried under the riverbank is mind-blowing... like, what other secrets are waiting to be uncovered? I can imagine how thrilling it must be for the archaeologists involved, digging up these ancient stones and piecing together the history of Roman industry. This find is definitely rewriting the map of Roman Britain and I’m hyped to learn more about it!

I'm low-key hyped about this discovery but also kinda meh... I mean, we knew Romans were into industry and stuff, but 800 whetstones is a lot . It's crazy that so many of the original ones got damaged during transport - that just goes to show how fragile these ancient structures can be .

On one hand, this find is huge for Sunderland (finally on the map, as they say!) and for Roman history enthusiasts everywhere . But, on a more realistic note, we've been discovering new Roman sites left and right over the past few decades... it's like, how many hidden industrial hubs can there be under our feet?

Still, I'm all for learning more about Sunderland's role in the Roman empire . Maybe this discovery will spark some renewed interest in local history and archaeology? Fingers crossed!

I don’t usually comment but I think it’s crazy to find out that there was an actual industrial hub in Sunderland during Roman times . Like, who knew? The fact that they had whetstones everywhere and it was a big production site is wild . It's like, imagine walking along the River Wear and seeing these massive stone bars just chillin' by the water . And to think there might be even more under the riverbank waiting to be found . This discovery is gonna change everything we thought we knew about Roman Britain , I can already see it being a big deal in history books from now on .