Before a chance discovery in 1758, little was known about Ariconium or its’ location. However several excavations over the last two centuries has revealed some of the story. The site is approximately rectangular and contained streets with domestic dwellings, industrial premises such as iron workings, shops and burial sites.

Nearby Forest of Dean was an ancient source of iron ore and charcoal and there is evidence of early mining and smelting, with many sites consisting of groups of forges. The site of Ariconium was on the rise of a hill, as that the terrain increased the airflow passing over it. The bloomeries here were using a process that produced imperfect iron, together with dirt and cinders. The Romans contributed the use of bellows, creating an air blast that was much hotter. This produced better iron, albeit inferior to the techniques used in later centuries. Huge amounts of charcoal would have been necessary and the result was that large amounts of cinder refuse or scoriae was dumped in great piles at such sites. So this was a large iron-working site left behind massive refuse piles covering 100 acres, although some suggest it might be more than double this size. Pottery remnants were found here and numerous artifacts, including pre-Roman British and Roman coins.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle stated that the Romans, in 418 AD, collected all the treasures of "gold" (valuables) which they had in Britain, and part of the gold they had concealed in the ground that no man might afterwards find them. And part they carried into Gaul. Gold, of course, was a figurative term for any weath rather than actual gold. Basically the Romans buried what they could not carry!

Acting as a road station, a stopping off point, numerous roads and tracks intersected here or nearby. A. W. Trotter, in his 1936 book, The Dean Road tells us the Dean Road ran from Lydney, via Littledean, to Mitcheldean He continues - "Whether or not the road extended beyond the latter place we have not yet been able to ascertain, but if it did, Ariconium could be, its possible - one might say probable - destination." Indeed it is considered likely an Ariconium to Mitcheldean road would have also gone to Newnham on Severn, which was a known Roman crossing point of the River Severn. The Dean Road is still visible at Oldcroft and at Blackpool Bridge (although much repaired at a later date) on the Blakeney to Ruspidge Road.

Picture (right) - Several pre-Roman British coins were discovered at Ariconium, including one minted by Cunobelin. This is an example of a Cunobelin coin, not the actual one found.