Excavations near Hadrian's Wall have revealed a rare rural sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Pales, the patron of shepherds. The site contains evidence of the Parilia festival, a Roman pastoral rite involving the ritual cleansing of sheep and the jumping over bonfires to ward off disease and ensure flock fertility.
The presence of this shrine suggests that Roman soldiers and local Britons integrated their traditions, celebrating the birth of Rome and the spring pastoral cycle in tandem. Found within the shrine were small clay sheep figurines and layers of carbonized wood, supporting the theory that ritual fires were a central component of these frontier festivities.