Roman wooden chariot wheel

This rare Roman wooden chariot wheel was found at Bar Hill Roman Fort, Strathclyde, Scotland and was picked by Christina Gilfedder, second year student at the University of Glasgow (Single Honours Archaeology). Christina writes - This chariot wheel is a fantastic discovery as most organic material does not survive the acidic soils of Scotland. It was discovered in a deep refuse pit at Bar Hill fort and as such, a relative date of around AD 142-80 can be made. As it was discovered in an extremely well preserved condition, we can tell that the Romans used ash and elm wood for the hub and spokes of the wheel and that these elements are held together by an iron rim. As Bar Hill fort and the Antonine Wall was constructed as a means to occupy and dominate the northern regions of the British Isles, war and violence would have been prevalent. Therefore, there may have been the frequent need for chariots in the defence of the Roman Empire, as well as the acquisition of new northern territory. However, chariots may not have been used only for battles, but perhaps for transport between the Roman frontier forts.