An archaeological excavation at the Iron Age Drumanagh fort in north Dublin has unearthed the first intact Roman pot ever discovered in Ireland. A team of dozens of volunteers led by professional county archaeologists investigated an area of the fort site with unusual features seen in a previous geophysical survey. They found fragments of Roman amphorae right under the surface, and in one trench, the team found the intact upside-down pot next to a large fragment (neck and rim) of an amphora.The Drumanagh promontory fort was perched on a headland and the Roman Empire had a trading post there. There is no evidence of a Roman settlement, but the number and variety of finds attest to significant commercial contact between ancient Ireland and the Roman Empire.Excavations have been ongoing there every summer for five years, revealing import goods like spelt bread, olive oil, glass vessels, ceramic cups, jewelry, glass beads and in 2024, a 2,000-year-old fig. It too was also first of its kind ever discovered in Ireland, surviving only because it was charred. This years excavation also discovered eight bone combs, four dice made of antler, glass beads and peg gaming pieces.The Roman pot is now at the National Museum of Ireland where it will be cleaned, conserved and analyzed. The soil attached to the pot will also be analyzed for any organic trace remains.