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Romans wore socks with sandals, new British dig suggests
Britons may be famous for their lack of fashion sense and Italians for their style. But it appears we may have inherited one of our biggest sartorial crimes from the Romans.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 10:00PM BST 25 Aug 2010

New evidence from an archaeological dig has found that legionnaires wore socks with sandals.

Rust on a nail from a Roman sandal found in newly discovered ruins in North Yorkshire appears to contain fibres which could suggest that a sock-type garment was being worn.

Now scientists are examining the remains in the laboratory to see if it is true.

The fashion faux pas was found in a 2000-year-old "industrial estate" excavated as part of a £318 million Highways Agency scheme to upgrade the A1 between Dishforth and Leeming in North Yorkshire.

The unearthed site includes the remains of a water-powered flour mill used to grind grain and produce food for the soldiers, clothes, food remains, graves and pottery.

It also contains the evidence of the socks in 14 graves on the outskirts of the area.

Blaise Vyner, an archaeologist heading the cultural heritage team on site, said: "You don't imagine Romans in socks but I am sure they would have been pretty keen to get hold of some as soon as autumn came along."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/scie ... gests.html
 
Given the British climate you really can't blame them!
 
Zilch5 said:
Given the British climate you really can't blame them!
They weren't clever enough to invent wellies, though! ;)
 
Dry weather reveals archaeological 'cropmarks' in fields

Hundreds of ancient sites have been discovered by aerial surveys, thanks to a dry start to the summer, English Heritage has said.

The surveys show marks made when crops growing over buried features develop at a different rate from those nearby.

The newly-discovered Roman and prehistoric settlements include a site near Bradford Abbas, Dorset.

The Roman camp was revealed in June after three sides became visible in rain-parched fields of barley.

The lightly-built defensive enclosure would have provided basic protection for Roman soldiers while on manoeuvres in the first century AD and is one of only four discovered in the south west of England, English Heritage said.

The dry conditions also allowed well-known sites to be photographed in greater detail.

Newton Kyme, near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, was shown to not only be home to a Roman fort dating back nearly 2,000 years but also a larger, stronger defence built in 290AD.

English Heritage senior investigator Dave MacLeod said: "It's hard to remember a better year.

"Cropmarks are always at their best in dry weather, but the last few summers have been a disappointment.

"This year we have taken full advantage of the conditions. We try to concentrate on areas that in an average year don't produce much archaeology."

Flights over the Holderness area of the East Riding proved particularly productive with about 60 new sites, mainly prehistoric, found in just one day including livestock and settlement enclosures.

English Heritage said some sites which have not been visible since the drought of 1976 reappeared this summer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11128297
 
Rare Roman lantern found in field near Sudbury

A metal detecting enthusiast has found what is believed to be the only intact Roman lantern made out of bronze ever discovered in Britain.

Danny Mills, 21, made the find in a field near Sudbury in Suffolk.

The area was dotted with plush Roman villas and country estates in the second century.

The object, described as a rare example of Roman craftsmanship, has been donated to Ipswich Museum where is it now on display.

In the autumn of 2009, Mr Mills, a metal detector user, found a large bronze object whilst metal detecting in a field near Sudbury.

He immediately reported the discovery to Suffolk Archaeological Unit.

A Colchester and Ipswich Museums (CIM) spokeswoman said: "It turned out to be the only complete example of a Roman lantern found in Britain.

"Only fragments of similar lanterns are held in the British Museum and the closest complete example is from the famous Roman site of Pompeii."

It was found on land belonging to Mr and Mrs P Miller who donated it to Ipswich Museum, said the CIM spokeswoman.

Emma Hogarth, conservator at Colchester and Ipswich Museums, said: "It has been a pleasure to work on such a magnificent object."

Mr Mills said: "It was an amazing feeling. It took a while to dig down to see anything and once we found it, we had to go really carefully around it to get it out of the ground.

"It took the best part of an hour. I looked it up on the internet on my phone and matched it up with some others from Pompeii."

The lantern dates from between 43 and 300 AD.

It is like a modern hurricane lamp and the naked flame would have been protected by a thin sheet of horn which had been scraped and shaped until it was see through.

The horn is an organic material that did not survive as it will have rotted in to the soil.

The flame would have been produced by placing a wick into olive oil in a holder at the base of the lamp, not unlike a tea light holder.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-11161686
 
Treasure hunter finds rare antique in Cumbria

Video: Georgiana Aitken from Christie's explains why the helmet is special

A metal detector enthusiast in Cumbria has discovered a rare Roman bronze helmet complete with face-mask.

It is believed to be one of only three of its kind to be found in Britain.

The helmet would have been worn, possibly with colourful streamers attached, as a mark of excellence by Roman soldiers at sport parades.

Described as a "hugely important discovery", it is now expected to fetch £300,000 at Christie's Antiquities auction in London on 7 October.

The Crosby Garrett Helmet has been named after the hamlet in Cumbria where it was found in a field in May.

The treasure hunter who found it has asked to remain anonymous.

Christie's described the find as an "extraordinary example of Roman metalwork at its zenith" and "the discovery of a lifetime" for a metal detectorist.

It is believed that Romans wore the helmets as a mark of rank or excellence in horsemanship.

During sporting events, cavalrymen were divided into two teams and took turns to attack and defend.

Similar helmets were found in 1796 and 1905.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-11287093
 
Rare Roman suit of armour found at Caerleon dig

video: Archaeologist Dr Peter Guest of Cardiff University reveals the latest findings at the dig at Caerleon

Archaeologists digging at a site in south Wales have uncovered an entire suit of Roman armour and some weapons.

The rare discovery was made during an excavation at the fortress of Caerleon in south Wales, one of Britain's best known Roman sites.

Dig leader Dr Peter Guest of Cardiff University said the suit was only the third or fourth to be found in the UK, and the first in Wales.

"It's very important for the study of Roman Britain," he said.

Dr Guest, senior lecturer in Roman archaeology at Cardiff's school of history, archaeology and religion, explained that a number of objects were first spotted last week on top of a floor in one room of a warehouse on the Priory Field site.

"We have been working on one of the rooms at the warehouse for six days," he explained.

"It's been a long, slow process of careful excavation but we are finally there now."

Dr Guest said the suit was found alongside a number of copper and bronze studs and hinges.

"It's in a pretty good condition considering Roman armour was usually made of iron and that does not survive very well in wet, cold soil like we have in Wales," he said.

"It's turned into rust but it still retains its outline."

The find has been "very important" for the Caerleon excavation, said Dr Guest, as it adds to the sum of knowledge about the Roman legion that was based here.

A team of curators and conservators from the National Museum of Wales has spent the day removing from the site 30 blocks of soil containing the objects.

The final detailed excavation will be carried out in the museum's laboratory in Cardiff.

"At the moment it's all in a bit of a jumble and it's going to take us a long time to separate all the pieces and see exactly what we have got," added Dr Guest.

"It's going to be a long and very delicate process of careful and more detailed excavation over a period of maybe one to two years."

The six-week dig at Priory Field is being carried out by a team of students from Cardiff University and University College London.

Caerleon (Isca), which dates from AD 75, is one of three permanent legionary fortresses in the UK.

It was built to house 5,500 Roman citizens and was occupied for between 200 and 300 years.

The other fortresses at Chester and York are mostly buried and difficult to excavate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11288684
 
The 1,800-year-old murder mystery: Archaeologists unearth body of young girl buried with her hands tied
By Paul Sims
Last updated at 2:19 AM on 16th September 2010

She was no more than ten years old. Lying in a shallow grave, her tiny hands bound and with injuries to her head, it seemed she had met a most violent end.
But although all the clues point to the cruellest of murders, there is little chance of this ‘cold case’ ever being solved.
The mystery is puzzling not police, but archaeologists, as the gruesome events took place more than 1,800 years ago.

The team behind the find are still keen to play detective however, after unearthing the child’s skeletal remains in the corner of a barracks room at a Roman fort. Although the wheels of justice have turned far too slowly for this little girl, her death could help unlock ancient secrets.
A full examination of the remains is expected to take place within days and the results should be known within a month. The skeleton was found during an excavation at the Vindolanda Roman fort near Bardon Mill in Northumberland.

Human burials in built-up areas such as forts and towns were strictly forbidden in Roman times. The dead had to be interred or cremated in cemeteries on the outskirts. Archaeologists believe the child was murdered and then buried in a rush so as not to arouse suspicion.

They are uncertain whether the damage to the skull was inflicted at the time of her death or has taken place in the hundreds of years since.
At first, archaeologists working at the fort believed they had found the remains of a large dog. But when the entire skeleton was unveiled the grim truth emerged.

Dr Trudi Buck, a biological anthropologist from Durham University, identified the remains as those of a young person, possibly a girl. From the body’s position in the grave, the hands could have been tied together, she said.
‘The investigation so far has been very preliminary. There were no specific signs of damage to the bones that could be seen on first examination.
‘The cranium was very broken when it was discovered, but it is difficult to say if this was from any injuries sustained to it, or whether they have occurred over time.’

The grave where the girl was found dates back to the mid-third century, when the Fourth Cohort of Gauls formed the garrison at Vindolanda.
Dr Andrew Birley, Vindolanda’s director of excavations, said: ‘All sorts of scenarios are being considered.
First and foremost we could be dealing with a slave, not a free person. ‘There could have been a dispute between two soldiers, and one of them could have decided to damage the other’s property.
In Roman times slaves were considered to be property, and it is possible the little girl was harmed to settle a score. ‘What I can say for certain is that this was a crime that had to be covered up quickly.
‘It would not have been easy for the murderers to carry the body outside of the fort because of check points, and this is why the child was disposed of within its boundaries.’

It is not the first evidence of foul play at local excavation sites, which take in ten forts built by Romans. In the 1930s, Dr Birley’s grandfather, Eric, found two skeletons under a floor in a house at nearby Housesteads fort, one of whom had a knife blade stuck in the ribs.
‘I’m sorry to say that Vindolanda has probably produced another Roman murder victim, from around the AD250s,’ he said. ‘I shudder to think how this young person met their fate.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z0zgcAVDdR
 
Warning over metal detectorists after Roman helmet find
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-11510037

Crosby Garrett helmet Landowners are being warned to know their rights

Landowners are being warned to expect a surge in metal detectorists after a Roman helmet sold for £2m.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said its members should make sure they know the law before allowing metal detectorists on to their property.

It said disputes could arise and has published an advisory handbook.

The helmet was unearthed by a metal detector enthusiast in Crosby Garrett, near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, in May.

The piece, thought to have been worn by soldiers at sports events, was expected to fetch £300,000 when it went under the hammer at Christie's in London, but went to an anonymous bidder for £2m.
Professional advice
Continue reading the main story
Related stories

* Rare Roman helmet sells for £2m
* Roman helmet 'would be huge draw'

Both the finder and the farmer who owns the land where the artefact was found are entitled to a share of the sale money.

Angus Collingwood-Cameron, director of the CLA North East, said: "While such finds are extremely rare... I'm sure that this element of excitement helps to make the activity so popular.

"Responsible metal detectorists can unearth much that contributes to our heritage, but landowners must have control over all activities on their property.

"I cannot emphasis too strongly the importance of taking professional advice, to avoid costly legal battles in the future, and to discourage trespass.

"This high-profile event will make both landowners and detectorists wonder what else can be found, but taking simple steps, will give all parties peace of mind."
 
Archaeologists find Roman settlement in west London
Roman settlement brimming with ancient artefacts and human remains found at listed site in Syon Park
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 17 November 2010 08.04 GMT

A Roman settlement brimming with ancient artefacts and human remains has been unearthed on a building site in west London, it was revealed today.

Archaeologists excavating the listed site in Syon Park made the discovery of more than 11,000 Roman items just half a metre below the surface.

They were digging on the plot of land ahead of the construction of a new landmark hotel, which will open the outskirts of the historic Syon Park Estate in 2011.

Around 11,500 fragments of pottery, 100 coins and jewellery were uncovered by the experts from the Museum of London Archaeology, along with burial sites containing human remains and a Roman road.

Jo Lyon, a senior archaeologist at the museum, said: "We were extremely fortunate to discover such a comprehensive repertoire of Roman finds and features so close to the surface. They tell us a great deal about how the people of this village lived, worked and died.

"The archaeology at Syon Park has given us a valuable, rare insight into the daily life of an agricultural village on the outskirts of Londinium (London) that would have supplied the Roman city and provided shelter for travellers passing through.

"It helps us build a picture of the Roman landscape and shows how the busy metropolis of Londinium connected with the rest of Roman Britain."

The excavations at the Grade I listed site near Brentford were conducted in 2008, but the fascinating discoveries have only now been revealed.

Archaeologists said the Roman settlement had remained remarkably undisturbed for almost 2,000 years and was of local and national significance.

The site revealed a section of one of Roman Britain's most important roads, linking Londinium with the Roman town of Silchester and an ancient tributary of the Thames.

The artefacts found included two shale armlets, fragments of a lava quernstone and a late Bronze Age (1000-700BC) gold bracelet.

The new hotel, being built by Waldorf Astoria, is set to open on the site next year and is hoping to display some of the historic finds.

The Duke of Northumberland, whose family has held residence at Syon Park for more than 400 years, said: "Syon Park has a rich and remarkable history.

"The Roman findings are an incredible addition to this legacy and emphasise Syon Park's place as a prominent landmark in ancient British history."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/ ... est-london

This is right next to where I was born, FWIW!
 
Motorway maximus: Unearthed, a stunning Roman super-highway built 1,900 years ago
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:16 PM on 4th February 2011

It was a route once trod by legionnaires as they marched across a conquered land.
But, eventually, the Romans left Britain and the magnificent highway they created was reclaimed by nature and seemingly lost for ever.

Now, some 2,000 years after it was built, it has been uncovered in the depths of a forest in Dorset.
And, remarkably, it shows no sign of the potholes that blight our modern roads.
Constructed by the Roman invaders as part of a route from London (Londinium) to Exeter (Isca), the 85ft wide earthwork stands more than 15ft high and consists of a sweeping road with deep ditches at the side.

It was so densely covered by trees, however, that although its existence was known about, it simply could not be found until now.
One of the country’s first roads, it was uncovered when the Forestry Commission, acting on advice from English Heritage expert Peter Addison, cleared the Norway spruce fir trees in Puddletown Forest.

Mr Addison said it was the biggest Roman road he had come across and that it was probably designed to make a statement. It is thought that it might have been built shortly after the Roman conquest in the first century and its scale would have been chosen to intimidate people living nearby.
The sight of a Roman legion marching along it would surely have had the desired effect.

It is thought the road would have been made from layers of gravel and the fact it still exists is testimony to the skills of the builders.
There is a central cobbled ‘street’, which would have been used for rapid troop movements, and outer ‘droving’ roads for livestock, as well as ditches for water drainage.

Mr Addison said: ‘It’s extraordinary. It has been known about but when the Forestry Commission wanted to find it, they struggled.
‘The trees were planted so tightly it was difficult to move through them. But they called me in and I managed to find it.
‘It is part of the road that goes from Badbury Rings to the fort at Dorchester and was part of the network of roads from Old Sarum (now Salisbury) to Exeter.

‘It is absolutely huge and unlike anything I have ever seen. Here you have a large road with huge ditches either side. It is raised very high which is unusual. It is only speculation, but the height might have been to make a statement.
‘It is thought this was a road made early in the occupation and not used for long. If so, then it would have been incredibly impressive to the local people.

‘In other parts of the forest we know the road was made using gravel and they probably used layers to build up the agger (embankment). They built ditches on either side to act as soakaways to prolong the life of the road.
‘But more work needs to be done to find out these details.’
It is hoped that archaeologists will be able to examine the road.

A Forestry Commission spokesman said it would not be planting any more trees on it.
The road will probably be grassed over in the future, he added.
‘We have painstakingly uncovered one of the UK’s most remarkable sections of ancient Roman road,’ the spokesman said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z1D4z6BX5X

Another one with personal connections for me - I went to Uni in Isca, and have also lived in Dorset, so I must have crossed parts of this road dozens of times. But I never thought much about Romans back then, so I never knew a major Roman road ran so far south.

PS: The course of the Roman Road through Puddletown Forest is shown on Ordnance Survey maps.
 
Girl 'murdered' by Roman soldiers in north Kent

The body of a girl thought to have been murdered by Roman soldiers has been discovered in north Kent.
Archaeologists working on the site of a Roman settlement near the A2 uncovered the girl who died almost 2,000 years ago.
"She was killed by a Roman sword stabbing her in the back of the head," said Dr Paul Wilkinson, director of the excavation.
"By the position of the entry wound she would have been kneeling at the time."

The Roman conquest of Britain began in AD43, and the construction of Watling Street started soon afterwards linking Canterbury to St Albans.
A small Roman town was built on the route, near present-day Faversham.

Dr Wilkinson is the director of SWAT Archaeology - a company which carries out digs before major building work takes place on sites which may hold historical interest.
He was in charge of a training dig excavating Roman ditches when they made the shocking find.
Dr Wilkinson said that she had been between 16 and 20 years old when she was killed, and her bones suggested that she had been in good health.

He also believes the body had then been dumped in what looked like a hastily dug grave.
"She was lying face down and her body was twisted with one arm underneath her body. One of her feet was even left outside the grave," he said.
The burial site was just outside the Roman town, with cemeteries close by.

Dr Wilkinson said the body was found with some fragments of iron age pottery which would date the grave to about AD50, and suggest that she was part of the indigenous population.

Another indication of her origin, according to Dr Wilkinson, is the orientation of the body.
Romans buried their bodies lying east-west, whereas this body was buried north-south, as was the custom for pagan graves.

Many people have a romantic view of the Roman invasion, Dr Wilkinson said.
"Now, for the first time, we have an indication of how the Roman armies treated people, and that large numbers of the local populations were killed.
"It shows how all invading armies act the same throughout history. One can only imagine what trauma this poor girl had to suffer before she was killed," he said.

She will be re-buried at the site.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13211331
 
`Lots` of people killed and they got that from just `one` body?

Poor math, methinks

And if it was a north south burial and therefore native rather than roman, why was it so hasty?

I smell a rat
 
Archaeologist digs into grandad's tale to uncover lost Yorkshire amphitheatre
A national theatre of the north is found on summit of Studforth Hill in Aldborough
Martin Wainwright guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 17 August 2011 21.02 BST

The lost amphitheatre of northern England has been found on a Yorkshire hilltop in a discovery with major implications for the study of Roman Britain.
Centuries of speculation have ended with a printout from geomagnetic scanners which reveals a great tiered bank of seats below curving hummocks in a field now frequented only by a herd of cattle.

Crowning the summit of Studforth Hill, the oval arena would have combined spectacles and entertainments with a magnificent 360-degree view, making it the equivalent of a national theatre of the north.
The find by Cambridge University archaeologists – led by a young woman who grew up locally and was told the amphitheatre legend by her grandfather – seals the importance in Roman times of the small village of Aldborough, between Harrogate and York.

It also adds to growing evidence that Britannia Inferior, as the northern province was known, was busier, more prosperous and cultured than previously thought. There have been a relative shortage of digs and studies of civilian sites in the area, compared with hundreds in Britannia Superior, today's south.

Initial work suggests the amphitheatre was flanked by a sports stadium.
"Its discovery leaves little doubt that Isurium Brigantium, as Aldborough was called in Roman times, was the civil capital of the Britons known as Brigantes, effectively the population between Derbyshire and Hadrian's Wall," said Martin Millett, professor of classical archaeology at Cambridge.
"York is much better-known for Roman remains, in part because it has remained a great city, but the evidence suggests that it was the military base. Civil power and society, and the most important place for Roman Britons in the northern province, was likely to have been here."

The sweeping curve of the amphitheatre, which crowns a long series of discoveries at Aldborough, lay hidden because of changing fashions in archaeology, shortage of money for excavations and pressure for resources to go elsewhere.
Rose Ferraby, who has led a two-year survey of the village with Millett, said: "It was under our noses. I used to come here as a girl with my friends because the slope and terracing made it Aldborough's sledging hill.
"My grandad told me the story of the lost amphitheatre and I got more and more interested through doing odd jobs at the manor house, whose garden has plenty of Roman remains."

The spell cast over her by the village, where no deep digging is allowed without planning permission and all building projects, down to conservatories, have to have an archaeologist on watch, took her from a Harrogate comprehensive to Cambridge and then the British School of Archaeology in Rome.

"The whole of Aldborough – and as much land again around it – is a scheduled monument," she said. "Work over the years has pointed more and more towards the conclusion that it was somewhere very important in this part of the Roman empire. Mosaics have been discovered with inscriptions in Greek, a sure sign of cultured inhabitants. We were certain that there had to be an amphitheatre somewhere."

The breakthrough came with geomagnetic and ground radar in which more than a square mile of cottages and pasture were turned into a grid, which Ferraby, Millett and volunteer students paced with handheld scanners and others examined on a machine akin to a lawnmower. They called locals to a packed meeting this week to announce the amphitheatre had at last been tracked down.

Most of the tiered seats were quarried or hacked out centuries ago, but the high bank which forms the crown of Studforth Hill hides the surviving section. The geomagnetic scan detected a large mass of material and then tiering, which is crudely reflected by ridges in the grassy surface until it disappears under a small copse.

"We don't yet know whether the seats are stone, which would have been the best quality, or a mixture of timber and compacted earth which has been found at other sites in the UK," said Ferraby. "But there are at least four rows and an extra ridge of land behind the trees suggests that there may have been a fifth. Whatever the material, it would have been an imposing building."

Aldborough was thought for years to have been a Roman fort because of its impressive town walls, which include a long remaining stretch with curved lookout towers. The strategic position on Dere Street, up which the ninth Hispana legion marched to its unknown fate in Scotland in about 120AD, also pointed to a largely military function.

etc...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/ ... aldborough
 
Roman port found at Caerleon on banks of River Usk

Archaeologists say the discovery of a 2,000-year-old port sheds new light on Wales' role in the Roman Empire.
A team from Cardiff University discovered the harbour outside the Roman fortress at Caerleon (Isca) during ongoing excavation work.
The remains are said to be well preserved and include the main quay wall, landing stages and wharves.
Excavation leader Dr Peter Guest said the port was a "major addition to the archaeology of Roman Britain".

Students using geophysical equipment, which can reveal outlines of buried structures, came across the remains of a site of large Roman buildings on the banks of the River Usk last year.
The buildings may have been market places, administrative buildings, bath houses and temples.
The excavation work, which also led to the discovery of the port, is said to have exceeded all expectations.

Dr Guest, senior lecturer in Roman archaeology at Cardiff University, said: "I think it's very important indeed for Caerleon because it allows us to see Caerleon in its immediate landscape so we now know there's this suburb of the fortress.
"Caerleon connected upstream with the hillier parts of Wales, and there were Roman forts at Abergavenny and Brecon, but if you go downstream you can go to Roman London but also the Loire Valley, the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean into the heart of the Roman world."

He said it was believed the port dated to a period when the legions were "fighting and subduing the native tribes in western Britain".
"It's incredible to think that this is the place where the men who took part in the conquest would have arrived," he added.
The port is only the second from Roman Britain to be discovered and excavated after London.

Dr Mark Lewis, of the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon, said everything learned about Caerleon was "immediately of international significance".
"There were three legions permanently based in Britain for most of the Roman period, and for 200 years from AD 74, the Second Augustan Legion was based in Caerleon," he said.
"At any one time in the Roman Empire, there are about 30 legions and one of them was permanently based here.
"It is always incredibly important."

He said the port was on a major scale and the other buildings discovered were "spectacular".
"We've got a good idea of the shape and outline of the buildings," he said.
"What that has shown up is that what Peter is excavating is one of the largest complexes of Roman buildings in Britain.
"It ranks with some of the largest in Europe."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14628286
 
Sandford Heath's 'Roman Road' is excavated in Dorset
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-15240775

A Roman road may run underneath the path or nearby dating to AD43

Related Stories

Roman army's murder victim found
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More Roman road to be unearthed

An archaeological dig has begun on a Dorset footpath to determine whether or not it has Roman origins.

The straight path, known locally as "Roman Road", runs through Sandford Heath between Sandford and Station Road at Holton Heath.

Organisers say the path may have formed part of the main road between Wareham and Poole in the 18th Century.

It is also thought a Roman road runs underneath the path or nearby dating to AD43 when the Romans invaded Britain.

The excavation is part of the Sandford Heritage Project, which aims to raise awareness of the historical and natural heritage of the Sandford area.

Ben Buxton, project officer, said: "We are cutting into the surface of the footpath and extending a trench on the north side, because there are some banks and ditches here which may suggest a hidden earlier route.

"There are strong reasons to suggest there is a Roman road buried here because the path is on a land boundary between different estates, including the Drax Estate, which is commonplace in the history of Roman roads."

The trench starts in the middle of the footpath to allow pedestrians to pass by while the work is carried out.

The excavation is expected to take two weeks and will be directed by local archaeologist Lilian Ladle with the help of local volunteers.

The area has not been excavated in the past.

The project received £42,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
 
Did the Romans leave London because of the miserable British weather?
By Graham Smith
Last updated at 12:59 PM on 5th November 2011

Their huge empire stretched all the way from northern Britain to the Egyptian desert.
But it seems the all-conquering Romans had an unexpected Achilles' Heel in the grim British weather.
Settlers suffered from poor health due to a lack of sunlight and a poor diet after they established Londinium in the 1st century AD, according to scientists.

Researchers at the Museum Of London are carrying out forensic tests on some of their 22,000 carefully-preserved skeletons of Londoners through the ages.
Lead scientist Dr Jelena Bekvalac said her team is focusing on the declining health of settlers during the 400 years of the Roman occupation.
She told the Times: 'You'd think in civilised Roman society, there would be buffers to aid you, but the climate is still going to have an effect and we see some signs of that.
'There may also have been illnesses that they were more susceptible to than the local population.'

The Romans' advanced standard of living has been well-chronicled and included building cities next to waterways, under-housing heating and public baths.
But settlers succumbed to malnourishment, due to a lack of fruit in London at the time, and illnesses caused by their damp environment, such as the flu.

The Romans buried their dead outside Londinium's city walls in the Western Cemetery, located under St Bartholomew's Hospital near St Paul's, and the Southern Cemetery, along the south side of the Thames in Borough.
Archaeologists at these sites unearthed skeletons buried next to personal items including coins, toys and jewellery.

The Museum Of London researchers found that 18 per cent of men buried in the Southern Cemetery suffered from gout, brought about by a lack of Vitamin C, as well as excessive consumption of alcohol and meat.
Eighty per cent of the remains at the Western Cemetery showed pits and furrows in tooth enamel.
The condition occurs when the natural process of tooth growth is interrupted, leading scientists to the conclusion that growing up in Londinium left settlers malnourished and suffering from general ill-health.

The Museum Of London's skeleton collection is the largest in the world for one city.
Earlier this year, scientists revealed how climate change could have been responsible for bringing down the Roman Empire.
Researchers studied ancient tree growth rings to show links between climate change and major events in human history such as migrations, plagues and the rise and fall of empires.

They discovered that periods of warm, wet weather coincided with period of prosperity, while droughts or varying conditions occurred at times of political upheaval such as the demise of the Roman Empire.
To match the environmental record with the historical one, researchers looked at more than 7,200 tree fossils from the past 2,500 years.
The study, published in the journal Science, said: 'Increased climate variability from AD 250 to 600 coincided with the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the turmoil of the Migration Period.
'Distinct drying in the third century paralleled a period of serious crisis in the western Roman Empire marked by barbarian invasion, political turmoil and economic dislocation in several provinces in Gaul.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z1cw7byqTc
 
ramonmercado said:
Sandford Heath's 'Roman Road' is excavated in Dorset ...

The dig didn't last very long ... Here's an update ...

We have a result: the Roman Road is not a Roman road!


By day 3 of the dig (Wednesday) we had reached levels in the trench which indicated that there had been no disturbance of the soil for road building, and no layers which looked like road surfaces. Even where the trench cut into the surface of the Roman Road (which in its present form is probably 18th century) there was no sign of the surface, which we thought might be gravel. This is puzzling, as we know that the road was part of the Wareham to Poole road in the 18th century. It was then abandoned until it became a footpath about 50 years ago, and in that time there was a build up of organic material.


Throughout the trench there was a consistent heathland soil profile, known as podsol. The top layer was pale sand with gravel mixed in, then a dark organic layer, then a hard yellowy layer known as hardpan. The only disturbance to the soil profile resulted from cutting ditches, and creating low banks between them, parallel to the road on the north side, which are visible on the surface. We think these were cut in the early 19th century by landowner Henry Digby, who created a plantation of trees along the road here. The high bank immediately adjacent to the road was probably built at the same time. Explaining these features was another result of the dig.

http://sandfordheritage.org/roman-road-dig
 
Roman brothel token discovered in Thames
A Roman coin that was probably used by soldiers to pay for sex in brothels has been discovered on the banks of the River Thames.
By Daily Telegraph Reporter
7:00AM GMT 04 Jan 2012

Made from bronze and smaller than a ten pence piece, the coin depicts a man and a woman engaged in an intimate act.
Experts believe it is the first example of its kind to be found in Britain. It lay preserved in mud for almost 2,000 years until it was unearthed by an amateur archaeologist with a metal detector.

On the reverse of the token is the numeral XIIII, which historians say could indicate that the holder handed over 14 small Roman coins called asses to buy it. This would have been the equivalent of one day’s pay for a labourer in the first century AD.
The holder would then have taken the token to one of the many Londinium brothels and handed it to a sex slave in exchange for the act depicted on the coin.

The token was found by pastry chef Regis Cursan, 37, who made the discovery near Putney Bridge in West London.
He told the Daily Mail yesterday: “The day I made the find it was a very low, early tide and raining heavily. At first I thought it was a Roman coin, because of the thickness and diameter.
“When I rubbed the sand off the artefact the first thing I saw was the number on one side and what I thought was a goddess on the other. Little did I know at the time it was actually a rare Roman brothel token. To find something like that is a truly exciting find.”

The token has been donated to the Museum of London, where it will be on display for the next three months. Curator Caroline McDonald said: “This is the only one of its kind ever to be found in Great Britain.
“When we realised it was a saucy picture, we had a bit of a giggle but there’s also a sad story behind it because these prostitutes were slaves.
“It has resonance with modern-day London because people are still being sold into the sex trade.”

The object, dated to around the first century AD, was protected from corrosion by the mud. Similar tokens have been found elsewhere in the Roman Empire, but this is the first time one has been unearthed in the UK.

Some historians believe the Romans invented prostitution in the modern sense.
It played a significant part in the empire’s economy – with sex workers required to register with the local authorities and even pay tax.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/899121 ... hames.html

"This token entitles the bearer to..." 8)
 
rynner2 said:
"This token entitles the bearer to..." 8)
token.jpg
 
rynner2 said:
“It has resonance with modern-day London because people are still being sold into the sex trade.”

Don't bother, Caroline.

It isn't and needn't be particularly relevant/resonant to London or the modern world any more than it would be any other major city. It's genuinely interesting in and of itself, and you can just leave it at that. Save the PC-nonsense for the funding applications.

Any why must we assume that all prostitution is coercive? For some it's a career choice.
 
I don't know where Ronson found that image, but it's clearly a No. 7 (VII), and seems to represent a blow job.

But the London token is a number 14 (XIIII), so what does that qualify for?! :shock:
 
theyithian said:
Don't bother, Caroline.

It isn't and needn't be particularly relevant/resonant to London or the modern world any more than it would be any other major city. It's genuinely interesting in and of itself, and you can just leave it at that. Save the PC-nonsense for the funding applications.

Any why must we assume that all prostitution is coercive? For some it's a career choice.

I think she's referring more to the fact that prostitutes were slaves, often as not. So the element of choice there is not an option.
 
http://news.yahoo.com/mysterious-winged-structure-ancient-rome-discovered-143605645.html
Mysterious 'Winged' Structure from Ancient Rome Discovered
LiveScience.comBy Owen Jarus | LiveScience.com – 5 hrs ago


A recently discovered mysterious "winged" structure in England, which in the Roman period may have been used as a temple, presents a puzzle for archaeologists, who say the building has no known parallels.

Built around 1,800 years ago, the structure was discovered in Norfolk, in eastern England, just to the south of the ancient town of Venta Icenorum. The structure has two wings radiating out from a rectangular room that in turn leads to a central room.


"Generally speaking, [during] the Roman Empire people built within a fixed repertoire of architectural forms," said William Bowden, a professor at the University of Nottingham, who reported the find in the most recent edition of the Journal of Roman Archaeology. The investigation was carried out in conjunction with the Norfolk Archaeological and Historical Research Group.

The winged shape of the building appears to be unique in the Roman Empire, with no other example known. "It's very unusual to find a building like this where you have no known parallels for it," Bowden told LiveScience. "What they were trying to achieve by using this design is really very difficult to say."

The building appears to have been part of a complex that includes a villa to the north and at least two other structures to the northeast and northwest. An aerial photograph suggests the existence of an oval or polygonal building with an apse located to the east.

The winged building

The foundation of the two wings and the rectangular room was made of a thin layer of rammed clay and chalk. "This suggests that the superstructure of much of the building was quite light, probably timber and clay-lump walls with a thatched roof," writes Bowden. This raises the possibility that the building was not intended to be used long term. [Photos of Mysterious Stone Structures]

The central room, on the other hand, was made of stronger stuff, with its foundations crafted from lime mortar mixed with clay and small pieces of flint and brick. That section likely had a tiled roof. "Roman tiles are very large things, they’re very heavy," Bowden said.

Sometime after the demise of this wing-shaped structure, another building, this one decorated, was built over it. Archaeologists found post holes from it with painted wall plaster inside.

Bowden said few artifacts were found at the site and none that could be linked to the winged structure with certainty. A plough had ripped through the site at some point, scattering debris. Also, metal detecting is a major problem in the Norfolk area, with people using metal detectors to locate and confiscate materials, something that may have happened at this site.

Still, even when the team found undisturbed layers, there was little in the way of artifacts. "This could suggest that it [the winged building] wasn't used for a very particularly long time," Bowden said.

The land of the Iceni

Researchers are not certain what the building was used for. While its elevated position made it visible from the town of Venta Icenorum, the foundations of the radiating wings are weak. "It's possible that this was a temporary building constructed for a single event or ceremony, which might account for its insubstantial construction,' writes Bowden in the journal article.

"Alternatively the building may represent a shrine or temple on a hilltop close to a Roman road, visible from the road as well as from the town."

Adding another layer to this mystery is the ancient history of Norfolk, where the structure was found.

The local people in the area, who lived here before the Roman conquest, were known as the Iceni. It may have been their descendents who lived at the site and constructed the winged building.

Iceni architecture was quite simple and, as Bowden explained, not as elaborate as this. On the other hand, their religion was intertwined with nature, something which may help explain the wind-blown location of the site. "Iceni gods, pre-Roman gods, tend to be associated with the natural sites: the springs, trees, sacred groves, this kind of thing," said Bowden.

The history between the Iceni and the Romans is a violent one. In A.D. 43, when the Romans, under Emperor Claudius, invaded Britain, they encountered fierce resistance from them. After a failed revolt in A.D. 47 they became a client kingdom of the empire, with Prasutagus as their leader. When he died, around A.D. 60, the Romans tried to finish the subjugation, in brutal fashion.

"First, his [Prasutagus'] wife Boudicea was scourged, and his daughters outraged. All the chief men of the Iceni, as if Rome had received the whole country as a gift, were stripped of their ancestral possessions, and the king's relatives were made slaves," wrote Tacitus, a Roman writer in The Annals. (From the book, "Complete Works of Tacitus," 1942, edited for the Perseus Digital Library.)

This led Boudicea (more commonly spelled Boudicca) to form an army and lead a revolt against the Romans. At first she was successful, defeating Roman military units and even sacking Londinium. In the end the Romans rallied and defeated her at the Battle of Watling Street. With the Roman victory the rebellion came to an end, and a town named Venta Icenorumwas eventually set up on their land. [Top 12 Warrior Moms in History]

"The Iceni vanish from history effectively after the Boudicca revolt in [A.D.] 60-61," said Bowden.

But while they vanished from written history, archaeological clues hint that their spirit remained very much alive. Bowden and David Mattingly, an archaeologist at the University of Leicester, both point out that the area has a low number of villas compared with elsewhere in Britain, suggesting the people continued to resist Roman culture long after Boudicca's failed revolt.

This lack of villas, along with problems attracting people to Roman settlements in the area, "can be read as a transcript of resistant adaption and rejection of Roman norms," writes Mattingly in his book "An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire" (Penguin Books, 2007).

There is "still a fairly strong local identity," said Bowden, who cautioned that while local people may have lived at the complex, the winged building is out of character for both Roman and Iceni architectural styles, a fact that leaves his team with a mystery.
 
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