In September and October 2020 phase 1 of the In the Footsteps of Trebellius Maximus project took place near Rossett, in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The project was a partnership between the University of Chester and Wrexham Museum and aimed to investigate the findspot and wider archaeological context of a Roman lead pig (ingot) discovered in 2019, inscribed with the name of the Governor of Roman Britain ‘Trebellius Maximus’. Investigations found that there were no discernible Roman features around the findspot and that the ingot was likely lost or stolen in transit, hidden and not returned to. Survey work of the wider area however, identified the first structurally attested Roman villa in northeast Wales, only 1.7km away from the pig findspot, also suggesting the presence of a Roman road nearby.
