More information : SU 7247 0299 Roman Villa (GS) (site of). (1)
The site of these buildings was excavated from 1897-1906 by Mr
Talfourd Ely. Previous finds of Ro. coins had been made in
ploughing two fields - Towncil and Long Towncil, and local
tradition spoke of a circular building at the site. In the
field N. of Towncil, labourers had also dug up building
materials and graves with `boxes of bones' (SU 70 SW)
Excavation revealed a circular structure with a hard clay floor
in an enclosure of flint-rubble walling. Hypocausts and flint
floors were found in this enclosure and flint walling and
floors outside (Insufficient information is given by T Ely to
supply an adequate description of these features) The width of
the main foundations was 3 ft.
On the plan `A' was a chamber heated by an hypocaust;
`B' - A gateway with flint metalling on both sides; `C'
possibly another gate; `D' a hypocaust of considerable size;
and `E' - another gateway. 143 yards N of `B' the flint and
gravel metalling of `a road' was found
Coins found include: 1st c BC stater: 2nd brasses of Claudius,
Vespasian, Domitiam, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius. Folles of
Constantine I and Constantinius II and `centenionalus' of
Constantine I. Coins found before excavation. As of Augustus.
2 ae of Ant. Pius, Faustina and Postumus.
Other finds were roof tiles, coloured plaster, pieces of wattle
and daub, bronze bangle and bracelet and toilet implements and
iron key, knife and stilus, Samian and `black' pottery.
The enclosure appears to have contained more than one house and
several out-buildings. Those outside were no doubt intended for
cattle (2) Previous accounts of excavation (3) Add refs and `a
sepulchral urn was found in the adjoining field' (4) Add ref
(5) The circular structure suggested as `an exceptionally large
dovecot'. (2-6)
SU 7245 0306 In this area, numerous pieces of Roman brick and
tile, and a small fragment of Samian ware were found and a crop
mark is visible on an Air Photo. (7)
SU 7245 0306 Roman Building (GS) (site of). (8)
Perhaps a temple because of range of coins found but could be a
mausoleum on analogy of that near Pulborough, a more massive
circle inside a porticoed enclosure. (9)
The resiting of this building on the evidence of Major Thomas
is quite unwarranted. There is nothing to be seen at the
amended siting but at the old 25" siting masses of clunch,
flint and Ro brick fragments are visible, situated on the end
of a natural ridge.
Some of the finds from the early excavations are in Southsea
Castle Museum, Acc No. 66/59. (10)
This building is a Roman temple. (11)
The building showed clearly on air photographs and was partly
excavated. It can be recognised as a circular temple about
13.0m in diameter with a rectangular porch to the east standing
within a temenos 30.0m square surrounded by an ambulatory with
its own porch to the east. The enclosure walls face the
cardinal points. The excavation showed that the temple was of
pre-Flavian date and overlay deposits and rich votive objects
of the late pre-Roman Iron Age.
Further excavation confirmed that an Iron Age temple pre-dated the Roman building. Pottery and coins suggested that the latter
was occupied from about 50 BC until the erection of the Roman
temple, in the 60s AD. This fell into disuse after 200. (12-13)
Excavations to date have revealed the plan of a large Roman
temple built soon after 43 AD. The Roman building replaced a
timber structure of the mid-1st century BC, one of the best
authenticated examples of a late Iron Age shrine in North-west
Europe, in about 55-60 AD. This early date is exceptional, for
most Roman temples known in Britain are later. Activity at the
temple seems to have ceased in the early 3rd century. (14)
Excavation between 1978 and 1982 confirmed a late Iron age temple complex beneath the Roman temple. It is suggested that substantial parts of the Roman temple were still standing in the 8th-9th century, and possibly re-utilized during that period. (See SU 70 SW 58). (15-19)
An Iron-Age human-headed sceptre and Roman bronze enamelled brooches were found in the temple. (20)
Early Roman bronze horse strap-unions have been found at the temple. (21) |