Editing Neath (section)

===Roman fort===
{{main|Nidum}}
The town is located at a [[ford (crossing)|ford]] of the [[River Neath]] and its strategic situation is evident by a number of [[Celts|Celtic]] [[hill forts]], surrounding the town. The [[Roman Britain|Romans]] also recognised the area's strategic importance and built an [[Roman auxiliaries in Britain|Auxiliary Fort]] on the river's Western bank around 74&nbsp;AD.

Much of the site is on the grounds of [[Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School]] but archaeological digs have also found gate-towers that extended out beyond the fort's walls (a feature unique in Roman Britain) and a large Roman marching camp that would have accommodated thousands of troops.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-12518683 Nidum Roman dig in playing fields] BBC Wales, 21 February 2011</ref><ref>{{Coflein|num=301344|desc=Blaen Cwm Bach Camp|access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref> These finds indicate some of the unusual measures the Romans took during the [[Silures#Fierce resistance to Roman forces|resistance of the native Silures]]. The fort at Neath was abandoned around 125&nbsp;AD for fifteen years and again around 170&nbsp;AD for a century before the final Roman withdrawal around 320&nbsp;AD.<ref>{{Coflein|num=301350|desc=Neath Auxiliary Fort; Nidum; Neath Roman Fort|access-date=30 September 2021|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

The [[Antonine Itinerary]] ({{circa|2nd century}}) names ''{{lang|la|Nido}}'' (or {{lang|la|[[Nidum]]}}) as one of nine places in [[Wales in the Roman Era|Roman Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roman-britain.org/geography/itinerary.htm |title=The Antonine Itinerary – ''Iter Britanniarum'' – The British Section |access-date=2009-10-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727181009/http://www.roman-britain.org/geography/itinerary.htm |archive-date=27 July 2009 }}</ref>