For most of the 20th century, popcorn was a simple pleasure…a stovetop ritual, a movie‑theater treat, a sound and smell that filled kitchens long before streaming nights existed. But no name became more synonymous with CONTINUE READING... The post The Rise of Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn appeared first on The Retro Network.

As Iranians take to the streets amid persistent inflation and a regime crackdown, President Donald Trump told protesters that “help is on its way“—but he has already given the poor people oppressed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei critical aid by enabling the conditions for their revolt. Protesters took to the streets amid extremely high inflation on Dec. 28, and by this past Saturday, the rallies had grown to 574 locations in 185 cities across all 31 provinces, according to CNN. The regime has responded with its customary ruthlessness, shutting down the internet and killing an estimated 12,000 protesters. The regime has successfully quelled protests in previous years, from the 2009 Green Movement (sparked by a disputed presidential election) to the 2019-2020 protests (also triggered by economic conditions) to the 2022-2023 protests after Mahsa Amini died in morality police custody after she refused to wear a hijab. What’s different this time? The economic conditions are even worse, and the regime has lost its moral and military credibility. Iran’s currency—the rial—lost nearly all its value. Last week, one U.S. dollar traded for 1.47 million rials. The economic crisis comes after President Trump re-imposed maximum pressure on Iran last February, after he announced an all-of-the-above energy strategy that does not move away from oil, and after a series of devastating military defeats for the Mullahs. Iran’s theocratic regime rests its legitimacy on its ability to fight the “little Satan,” Israel, and the “great Satan,” the United States of America. The Islamic Republic came to power after the revolution ousted the U.S.-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Iran has declared its intention to wipe Israel off the map. Its harsh enforcement of the Shia version of Sharia law is only possible because the regime unites its people against common enemies. Trump’s Role Former President Barack Obama thought the regime would soften if he offered compromise, and he hoped to create regional stability in the Middle East by pitting a stronger, more moderate Iran against Saudi Arabia. President Trump rightly threw out this flaccid approach, using maximum pressure sanctions in his first term and showing an even more aggressive support for Israel in his second. Former President Joe Biden loosened the sanctions on Iran, leading the regime to gain approximately $71.02 billion more than it otherwise would have ahead of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. This extra cash likely enabled Iran to provide more support to its proxies in the region, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Iran uses these proxies, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to project power against Israel and America outside its borders. Yet Oct. 7 set in motion a chain of events that crippled Iran’s power in the Middle East. Israel responded with force, dismantling Hamas. In September 2024, Israel effectively eviscerated Hezbollah by rigging the terrorist group’s pagers to explode. President Biden pledged to support Israel, but his support proved tepid at best. By contrast, Trump stood by America’s ally, providing the cover Israel needed to carry out its mission. Trump also bombed the Houthis in Yemen last year after the Iranian proxy repeatedly attacked international shipping. Last June, Israel directly attacked Iranian nuclear sites, and U.S. forces under Trump provided crucial assistance in destroying the key nuclear sites of Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. Rather than engage in regime change or a protracted war, President Trump urged Iran to make peace, ending the Twelve Day War with a massive victory for America and Israel. In a masterstroke, Israel and the U.S. had dismantled Iran’s proxies and the rogue regime’s nuclear program—the Mullahs’ greatest hope for a decisive victory against Israel. Yes, the Protests Really Are Different This Time Iran’s crippled role in the Middle East doesn’t just make Israel and America’s allies in the region safer—it also undermines the Islamic Republic’s reason for existence. Whatever Iran’s troops believe, the clerical authorities aim to spread their version of Islam across the globe, and if they can’t fight the two regimes they consider the most evil—America and Israel—they lose their key justification for rule. The protests may not succeed, and even if they do, it is possible the resulting regime will not represent much of an improvement. However, Trump and Israel have done the people of Iran a great service by eviscerating the Mullahs’ military might, and it just might be enough to end the Islamic Republic’s despotic rule, once and for all. Even if it survives, the crippled regime will remain a pale shadow of its former self. As an admirer of ancient Persia, I can’t help but hope that Iran’s best days are ahead—and if they are, the Persian people will have Trump to thank for it. The post Why Is the Iran Regime on the Verge of Collapse? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The following is a preview of Daily Signal Politics Editor Bradley Devlin’s interview with Oversight Project President Mike Howell on “The Signal Sitdown.” The full interview premieres on The Daily Signal’s YouTube page at 6:30 a.m. Eastern on Jan. 15. Oversight Project President Mike Howell joined “The Signal Sitdown” this week to discuss a new force analysis conducted by The Oversight Project into the ICE-involved shooting of a woman in Minnesota. “Our team of career law enforcement has carefully reviewed all available evidence and has cleared the officer,” the force analysis reads from the Oversight Project, which has more than 60 years of law enforcement experience on its team. “The ICE officer in question is not only innocent, but was entirely justified in his actions.  We pray that the far-left comes to their senses and ends this violence.” Renne Good, 37, was shot last week by an ICE officer after allegedly attempting to run him over in Minneapolis. Within hours, thousands of protestors gathered, and local lawmakers called for ICE to leave the city. “Immediately after that event, every anti-American liberal wacko became a ‘use of force’ expert, right? You have a lot like Omar [Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.] and others saying this is murder and all the Democrats saying this is murder,” Howell said. “It’s just incredibly frustrating to watch that because of the effect it has on a population.” Through these claims’ lawmakers, like Omar, have made, they have convinced this “mentally ill and unhinged population” that you can attempt to block a federal officer from doing their job. Omar did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Signal. “They’ve called for the violence against the ice officers,” Howell said. “And now they’re use of force experts too.” “This isn’t going to fly with us. The Oversight Project is unique amongst organizations in that we have over 60 years of very sensitive and senior law enforcement experience from the FBI intelligence community to elsewhere,” continued Howell. Howell explained they have a team who have “wielded weapons for a living and been in law enforcement for a long time at the highest levels.” “It’s indisputable that he was acting within his rights,” Howell claimed of the ICE officer. “He was justified not only legally, but in everything beneath that,” Howell answered. The Daily Signal reached out to DHS but did not receive comment. The post ‘Indisputable’: ICE Officer Involved in MN Shooting Was Within His Rights, Watchdog Group Concludes appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Supreme Court held in a 7-2 ruling on Wednesday that candidates for office have standing to sue over ballot concerns.  Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and two of the state’s presidential electors had challenged a state law that allows mail ballots arriving 14 days after Election Day to be counted.   The high court heard the case only on the question of Bost’s standing to sue, not on the merits of the voting law. Two lower courts had dismissed the challenge based on standing.  Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal justice, joined the court’s six conservative-leaning justices for the majority. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion.  “Candidates have a concrete and particularized interest in the rules that govern the counting of votes in their elections, regardless of whether those rules harm their electoral prospects or increase the cost of their campaigns,” Roberts wrote.  Judicial Watch represented the plaintiffs in the case.  “This is the most important Supreme Court election law ruling in a generation,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a public statement. “Too many courts have denied candidates the standing to challenge unlawful election rules such as the outrageous ballots that arrive after Election Day. American citizens concerned about election integrity should celebrate this Supreme Court victory.” To make his case, Bost argued that federal law established Election Day, but Illinois allows votes to come in two weeks longer than federal law allows. This would make such ballots effectively unlawful, he argued, allowing the possibility of unlawful ballots costing him the election or reducing his margin for victory.  The plaintiffs also argued the Bost campaign is further injured because it has to pay staff for an additional two weeks after the election.  Federal law 2 U.S. Code Section 7 states Election Day for federal offices is the Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years.  Illinois argued that mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, but can arrive to be counted up to two weeks later.  A district court and a 2-1 majority of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the state law, or in other words, were not actually harmed by it.  The Illinois attorney general’s office, which defended this case, did not immediately respond to The Daily Signal for this story.  The case will now go back to the lower courts to be heard on the merits. The post Supreme Court Upholds Candidate Standing in Ballot Counting Case appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A new poll reveals the 2026 Senate race in Michigan will likely be a fiercely contested battle, with Republican Mike Rogers holding narrow leads in hypothetical matchups against Democratic candidates. The poll, “conducted Jan. 2-6 for The Detroit News and WDIV-TV,” matches up Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers against three leading Democrat candidates in a bid for the seat of Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich, who is not seeking another term. The Rogers campaign declared the poll a win, as spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet wrote in a statement, “poll after poll continues to show that working families are rallying behind Mike Rogers.” Rogers lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., by fewer than 20,000 votes in 2024. At the head of the Democratic candidates is Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who trails with 43.7% support against Rogers’ 44.1% in a hypothetical matchup—well within the poll’s four percent margin of error.  Stevens celebrated the result in a post on X, writing, “Polls show I’m the strongest candidate to beat Mike Rogers and stop the MAGA agenda from continuing to shrink our economy, destroy our manufacturing industry, and keep jacking up costs.” Arik Wolk, a spokesperson for Haley’s campaign, told The Daily Signal in a statement,“yet another poll shows that Haley Stevens is the only Democrat who can defeat Mike Rogers with her unique magic with independent voters–a group that will be the deciding factor this election.” This November is about winning for Michigan.Polls show I'm the strongest candidate to beat Mike Rogers and stop the MAGA agenda from continuing to shrink our economy, destroy our manufacturing industry, and keep jacking up costs.https://t.co/x7j5LVCLYA— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) January 14, 2026 Trailing Stevens is State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. McMorrow receives 42.4% support in her hypothetical matchup, compared to Rogers’ 45.7% support.  In third place is former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed’s disadvantage is outside the margin of error, receiving 41.6% support against Rogers’ 48%.  El-Sayed previously ran for the Democrat gubernatorial nomination in Michigan, receiving the endorsements of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was not yet a member of Congress. Both El-Sayed and McMorrow have accused the government of Israel of committing “genocide” in contrast with Stevens, and both are highly active on social media. Like me or not, understand something: I REALLY want you to have healthcare. pic.twitter.com/ceGhXueLEN— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) December 29, 2025 The Michigan Senate primaries will be held on Aug. 4. Rogers has already received endorsements from President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.; and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The survey also indicated name recognition advantages for Rogers, with 71% name recognition among voters. Among Democrats, El-Sayed tops the list in name recognition ay 47%, followed by Stevens at 41.7% and McMorrow at 24.3%. Michiganders are choosing common sense over radical agendas. Let’s get to work! ?? pic.twitter.com/pP1lwUhiMA— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) January 14, 2026 The Rogers campaign declared the poll a win, saying in a statement, “poll after poll continues to show that working families are rallying behind Mike Rogers.” The race is important for determining the balance of the Senate, in which Republicans currently hold a narrow majority of 53-47.  Michigan is one of two Democrat-held seats labeled a ‘toss-up” for 2026 by The Cook Political Report, with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., holding the other seat.  Conversely, The Cook Political Report also labels seats held by Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins as “toss-ups”. The El-Sayed and McMorrow campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the poll. The post Michigan Senate Race a Nail-Biter, New Poll Shows appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Hmmm: FBI Executes Search Warrant on WaPo Reporter’s Home

MRC Watchdogs churn out breaking news on a daily basis. Don't miss Today's Highlights, where you can keep up with the top MRC content, whether it's the latest study on media bias, a glaring omission from the elitist media, or how the Big Tech companies are serving up the same leftist spin as the media.  Top Stories: PolitiFact: You Can't Call Renee Good a 'Domestic Terrorist,' Just Jan. 6 Rioters Liberal Journalists LOSE THEIR NOODLES Over CBS’s Dokoupil Interviewing Trump Big Four News Apps Push Elitist Media Narrative on Minn ICE Shooting Only 4 of 840 Stories: Google News’s Six-Week Blockade of Minn Fraud   PolitiFact: You Can't Call Renee Good a 'Domestic Terrorist,' Just Jan. 6 Rioters PolitiFact's Selective Outrage on "Domestic Terrorism" Labels: While PolitiFact harshly criticizes Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for calling Renee Good a "domestic terrorist" for obstructing ICE agents, it remains silent on FBI Director Christopher Wray labeling the January 6 Capitol riot as domestic terrorism, exposing a clear double standard in how the term is applied based on political alignment. Bias in Expert Reliance and Downplaying Activism: PolitiFact leans on left-leaning experts from organizations like the Brennan Center—who have previously defended against labeling groups like Antifa as terrorists—to portray Good as an innocent "mother of three and a poet" with no activist ties, ignoring video evidence of her deliberately blocking a street to impede ICE operations. Inconsistent Defense of Good's Character: In rushing to rate claims of Good's child abuse record as "FALSE" and emphasizing her clean background and family testimonials, PolitiFact overlooks her apparent role in anti-ICE activism, turning the fact-check into a sympathetic narrative rather than objective analysis.            2. Liberal Journalists LOSE THEIR NOODLES Over CBS’s Dokoupil Interviewing Trump Liberal Media Freakout Over Civil Interview Elite journalists melted down after CBS's Tony Dokoupil gave President Trump a respectful, fact-based 13-minute interview on real issues—calling it a "Dokoupil Dud" and "Fox News-style" because it wasn't aggressively hostile. Accusing Neutral Journalism of Being "MAGA Shill" Critics like Oliver Darcy and Peter Rothpletz branded Dokoupil a "toady" and CBS "MAGA-friendly" under new ownership for not constantly interrupting or confronting Trump—revealing they see balanced, professional reporting as betrayal when it involves Trump. Immature, Over-the-Top Hysteria The backlash turned petty and personal—mocking Dokoupil's height, questioning his self-respect, dragging in his wife's past, and labeling the interview a "disaster"—showing liberal media critics prefer partisan rage over letting viewers judge for themselves.         3. Big Four News Apps Push Elitist Media Narrative on Minn ICE Shooting The Dominance of Left-Leaning News Aggregation The Big 4 News Apps — Apple News, Google News, MSN, and Yahoo News—utilize their massive reach to disproportionately promote left-leaning media outlets. In covering the MN ICE shooting, these "Big Four" apps featured 20 left-leaning articles compared to only three from right-leaning sources, effectively creating a "news vacuum" that excludes conservative viewpoints from the primary public square. Narrative Framing Through Selective Story Placement Beyond just the quantity of articles, news aggregators exert influence by consistently pinning left-leaning coverage to the top of their apps and featuring emotionally charged imagery, these platforms pre-condition how the public interprets an event before they have even read the facts. This editorial control allows aggregators to frame government actions and law enforcement incidents through a partisan lens, often ignoring conflicting evidence or official statements that don't fit the preferred storyline. Highlighting Radical Outlets Over Mainstream Balance News apps are increasingly elevating content from radical, highly partisan outlets like Salon and The New Republic while simultaneously suppressing or ignoring established right-of-center publications. This shift transforms "news apps" into tools for activism, where headlines focus on "conspiracy theories" and "chilling warnings" rather than objective reporting. When platforms prioritize sensationalist, radical content over balanced journalism, they contribute to a fractured information environment where millions of Americans are only presented with one side of the national conversation. Only 4 of 840 Stories: Google News’s Six-Week Blockade of Minn Fraud Extreme Blackout on Major Scandal Over six weeks (Nov. 28–Jan. 9), Google News featured just 4 stories on the exploding Minnesota fraud scandal out of 840 total in its top 20 morning editions—less than 0.5% coverage—effectively burying widespread allegations of fraud tied to Gov. Tim Walz's administration. Ideological Gatekeeping Exposed None of the four stories came from right-leaning sources; three instead vilified Trump administration enforcement actions, while Google delayed coverage (e.g., four-day lag after a New York Times exposé) and placed pieces on low-traffic days like Dec. 30 and Jan. 1 to minimize visibility. Digital Suppression with Real-World Impact Despite escalating developments—including dozens of arrests, federal probes, viral videos, 2,000+ agent deployments, and Walz suspending his re-election bid—Google News acted as a "digital gatekeeper," throttling information that could have informed millions and potentially influenced political outcomes.

This vintage recipe for Hot Buttered Cheerios also known as fried cheerios is a keeper. ❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE We read that this recipe was popular in the 70’s and 80’s, so we had to try it immediately! You know how we love old recipes. We tried this one and all agreed.. it’s a...

The show Wife Swap has a light-hearted premise. For two weeks, families with opposing values and ideologies “exchange” wives. But many viewers don’t know about the so-called Wife Swap murders, when one of the children featured on the show ended up killing his real-life mother and brother. On June 15, 2017, 25-year-old Jacob Stockdale fatally shot his mother, Kathryn, and his brother, James, before turning the gun on himself. Though Jacob survived, his motives remain somewhat mysterious. But the woman who swapped places with Jacob’s mother for a 2008 episode of Wife Swap has a chilling theory. The Stockdale-Tonkovic Episode Of Wife Swap ABCOne of the families featured in the Stockdale-Tonkovic episode would become victims of the Wife Swap murders. On April 23, 2008, the “Stockdale/Tonkovic” episode of Wife Swap aired on ABC. It featured the Stockdale family from Ohio and the Tonkovic family from Illinois. As usual, the families featured on the show had completely different philosophies about life and raising children. The Tonkovic family — Laurie, her husband John, and their children T-Vic and Meghan — were easygoing and laid back. “You only have so long, so enjoy every day as it comes,” Laurie said on the show, which depicted her dancing with her children, bringing burgers home, and liberally handing out cash. But the Stockdale family — Kathy, her husband Timothy, and their sons Calvin, Charles, Jacob, and James — had a totally different perspective on family life. Their version of fun was their “wholesome family bluegrass band.” The children were kept in relative seclusion “to protect the boys from bad influences” and had to work for privileges like listening to the radio. “We don’t allow any cussing,” Katy Stockdale said. “I think that dating has physical dangers like pregnancy. It’s not worth it. It’s important we have control over their character and their education.” As expected, Kathy and Laurie both drummed up drama in their “new” families. But nine years later, the Wife Swap murders proved that the TV show had only shown the tip of the iceberg in the Stockdale home. Inside The Wife Swap Murders Jacob Stockdale/FacebookJacob Stockdale was a teenager when his family appeared on Wife Swap. On June 15, 2017, police responded to a 911 hang-up call at a residence in Beach City, Ohio. Officers heard a single gunshot when they arrived and entered the home to find 25-year-old Jacob Stockdale bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. Further inside the house, they also found the bodies of Kathryn Stockdale, 54, and James Stockdale, 21. Quickly, the officers surmised that Jacob had killed his mother and brother before turning the gun on himself. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors were able to save his life. “James, our youngest brother, has always been a catalyst of family fun,” Calvin Stockdale, the oldest child, said in a statement. “He leaves behind many friends and a family that loved him dearly. My brother, Jacob, is still in critical condition and we are praying for his physical recovery as our family makes funeral plans and begins the healing process.” Timothy, the family’s patriarch, also released a statement following the Wife Swap murders. He said, “Kathy has been my beloved wife of 32 years and a wonderful mother to our four sons. She loved nothing more than being a mother and grandmother. She had a strong love of learning and was passionate about her Christian faith, natural health, and organic farming.” After Jacob Stockdale sufficiently recovered from his wounds, he was charged with the murder of his mother and brother. But why did he do it? “It’s hard to, you know, kind of surmise what the motive may have been,” said Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier following the shooting. “There is some speculation; we don’t really want to get into that part of it but we will continue to investigate this case and try to determine if there is a motive. We just do not know at this time.” Though no official motive was ever released, Laurie Tonkovic, Jacob’s temporary “mother” during the 2008 episode of Wife Swap, has a theory for why Jacob attacked his family members. “When I switched the rules and I was going to let them have fun, let them have a television and video games, and experience life a little bit, [Jacob] ran outside crying,” she told TMZ. “And when I went out after him, I asked him what was wrong, and he said that his mom and dad would tell him that he would ‘burn in hell.’ God gives you free will – free will, they didn’t have. They weren’t allowed to make choices. I think it just caught up to him.” Laurie speculated that Jacob’s “strict upbringing” caused him to “snap.” So, where does the case of the Wife Swap murders stand today? Jacob Stockdale Today Stark County Sheriff’s OfficeJacob Stockdale was found fit to stand trial and sentenced to 30 years in prison for the grisly double murder. Following Jacob Stockdale’s indictment and arrest in October 2018, Jacob pled not guilty by reason of insanity. He spent two years in mental health facilities, from which he tried to escape twice. He was later found to be sane at the time of the Wife Swap murders, however, and shortly before his trial in May 2021, he pled guilty to killing his mother and brother. He was handed two 15-year sentences, one for each death, and will spend 30 years in prison. To date, the Stockdale family has said little about the Wife Swap murders. Privately, they asked the judge to approach Jacob’s case with leniency. The Wife Swap murders stand as a chilling example of the limitations of reality television. Shows like it claim to give audiences intimate views of other people’s lives. But when Jacob Stockdale killed his mother and brother, he proved that there’s often more to the story than the cameras can see. After reading about Jacob Stockdale and the Wife Swap murders, discover the story of Zachary Davis who bludgeoned his mother and tried to burn his brother alive. The post The Tragic Story Of Jacob Stockdale, The Former ‘Wife Swap’ Contestant Who Killed His Mother And Brother appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Gareth James/Wikimedia CommonsA stretch of Margam Country Park in Wales. The exact location of the villa has, so far, been kept under wraps. Among historians, Wales has long been thought of as the distant frontier of the Roman Empire, a place where the Romans were more likely to build forts and roads than anything permanent. But a ground-penetrating scan of the area around Margam Park, near Port Talbot, has revealed the remains of an elaborate Roman villa, thought to be from the fourth century C.E. This structure, dubbed the “Port Talbot Pompeii,” suggests that the Romans were far more established in Wales than previously known and that the region didn’t consist only of borderland outposts. Now, researchers are eager to excavate the site in order to investigate it further. The Discovery Of An Ancient Roman Villa Beneath Margam Country Park In Wales According to Swansea University, the villa was discovered during a project to better understand the pre-industrial heritage of Margam. While conducting a ground-penetrating survey in Margam Country Park, researchers “struck gold” when they detected the outlines of a sprawling structure underground that appeared to be a Roman villa. TerraDatA scan of the Roman villa that was detected beneath Margam Country Park. “This is an amazing discovery,” said Alex Langlands, an associate professor of heritage and history at Swansea University, and the project lead for ArchaeoMargam. “We always thought that we’d find something dating to the Romano-British period, but we never dreamed it would be so clearly articulated and with so much potential in terms of what it can tell us about the elusive first millennium AD here in South Wales.” Scans of the area — the exact location of which has been kept secret to prevent looting — suggests that the villa sat within a defensive enclosure. The enclosure itself is 141 feet by 180 feet, and was perhaps constructed as far back as the early Iron Age. The villa also includes a large building in its southeast corner, which was possibly an agricultural storage building that was transformed into a meeting hall after the fall of Rome. “It is too early to speculate about the date range of the building, its architectural features, who constructed it, and how it fell out of use,” Langlands noted. “But from the geophysical survey alone we can start to build hypotheses about how important this site could be and what it can tell us about Margam’s long-term role in the social, cultural, and economic developments across the first millennium in Wales.” Indeed, the discovery of the villa challenges the idea that Wales was merely a far-flung territory on the edge of the Roman Empire. Instead, this villa was a permanent structure, suggesting that the ancient Romans put down bona fide roots in this region. The Murky History Of Roman-Era Wales Roman history in Wales began in 48 C.E., five years after the Romans first arrived in Britain. At the time, the invading Roman armies encountered a number of formidable native tribes. In one memorable battle in 61 C.E., they fought against a combined force of warriors and druids, who terrified the Roman soldiers by shouting spells. However, they were easily defeated. “At the end of the battle, the Romans were victorious,” the Roman historian Tacitus wrote of the encounter, “and the holy oaks of the druids were destroyed.” Indeed, Wales during the Roman era was thought of as a place of conquest — a nexus of Roman camps and roads, forts and armies. A place on the edge of the frontier, and not necessarily one of permanent structures. Hazel LanglandsResearchers at Margam Park as part of the project to map the Roman villa recently found there. The villa, which Langlands estimates is from the fourth century C.E., challenges this idea. It suggests that the Roman presence in Wales was far more deep-rooted than previously known, and that the Romans were established enough to build elaborate villas similar to ones found in Britain. What’s more, scans have so far suggested that the villa could be tantalizingly well-preserved. The park above the villa has protected it from ploughing, and researchers believe that its floors and foundations are intact. Their next step will be to excavate and finally lay eyes on these astonishing ruins. “Margam is famous for its nationally significant monuments and for having evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age, Medieval and Post-Medieval heritage,” Langlands stated. “But we knew practically nothing about what was going on in the Romano-British period. This is the missing piece of the puzzle.” After reading about the sprawling Roman villa that was just detected in Wales, go inside the complicated question of when the Roman Empire actually fell. Then, discover the stories behind some of the worst Roman emperors, from Nero to Caligula. The post ‘My Eyes Nearly Popped Out Of My Skull’: Ancient Roman Villa Found Three Feet Below A Park In Wales appeared first on All That's Interesting.