More information : Two Roman shrines situated on the west bank of East Black Sike.
NY 9982 1047. (1) A rectangular shrine, dedicated to Vinotonus
Silvanus and built for a centurion of the First Cohort of Thracians
(at Bowes from early 3rd century), excavated 1945. The altar seen
1936 bears the inscription (a) (Deo) Vinoton/Siluan
Iul(ius)/Secundus c(enturio) coh(ortis) I Thrac(um)/u(otum) s(oluit)
l(aetus) l(ibens) m(erito), and is now in Bowes Museum.
NY 9984 1044. A circular shrine, dedicated to Vinotonus, and built
for the commandant or prefect of the First Cohort of Thracians,
excavated 1947 (1). The badly damaged altar has the inscription Deo
Vin/otono/L(usius) Caesius/Frontinus pr/aef(ectus) coh(ortis I
Thrac(um)/domo Parma/ u(otum) s(oluit) l(aetus l(ibens) m(erito).
Fragments of six other altars and part of a sandstone tablet were
found along with coins of Nerva (AD 96-98) and Hadrian (minted 119-
122). Pottery of 3rd-early 4th century included a cooking pot and two
vesicular ones, rims of Castor ware beakers and two fine glass
vessels of late style. Plan (1) (1-2)
(a) NY 9982 1046. Set into a steep west slope of East Black Sike,
this shrine is visible as a block of rough stones about 1.3 m NW/SE
by 0.8 m and 0.6 m high at the front or lower NE side. Only
shattered fragments of the surrounding wall can be seen, mainly on
the north side. Most of the east side has collapsed and disappeared
into the stream. (See GP from the east).
(b) NY 9983 1043. Set into the steep west slope of East Black Sike
and visible as a mainly turf-covered circular stone-walled enclosure
about 7.0 m overall diameter. Outer faces are visible in the south-
east and north-west but the wall has been eroded away by the stream
in the NE. In the SW it is set into the slope and only a few inner
facing stones are evident. The internal features shown on Richmond's
plan have been obscured by debris. An outer ditch on the NW and SW is
probably the remains of the excavation.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 (See GP from the NNE). (3)
Due to erosion it was decided to excavate the site in the spring
of 1981. Only the rear wall of the `Centurions' Shrine' remained.
This was cleared and examined while the stream bed was searched for
and artifacts that had been washed into it. None were found. (4)
The site was visited by RCHME during a survey of scheduled
monuments in County Durham.
Only the turf-covered remains of the circular `Prefect's Shrine'
survives as described by Authority 3; the rectangular `Centurions'
Shrine' some 15 m to the north west has now largely eroded into the
shifting course of the East Black Sike. Some 15 m to the south east
of the circular shrine lies a rectangular pile of dressed masonry
which may have been collected during the excavation of the shrines.
(5)
NY 998 103. Roman shrine on Scargill Moor. Scheduled No DU/115. (6)
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