The discovery was “just incredible” and “something we couldn’t dream of”, said Harriet Eaton who runs a Young Archaeologist Club as part of her role as Heritage Education Officer for Neath Port Talbot council.
“It would be fantastic if there was a community excavation here, [offering people] that hands on connection to the history unveiling beneath us,” she said.
Margam Country Park is owned and run by the local council and was already an important historical site, with an Iron Age hillfort, the remains of a 12th Century abbey and an impressive Victorian castle as just some of its attractions.
But the villa find helped fill “a big gap in our knowledge” about what was happening in Margam during the Roman period, according to park manager Michael Wynne.
“It’s a really unusual find this far west and of such a significant size – it will really add to our knowledge of Welsh and local history,” he said, and mean “more visitors to Margam Park, to Neath Port Talbot and to Wales generally”.
“It’s a really good news story.”