Silchester Roman Town
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Silchester Roman Town, or Calleva Atrebatum, was an Iron Age and subsequently Roman town and capital of the Celtic tribe named the Atrebates, located near the modern village of Silchester on what is today the border between the English counties of Berkshire and Hampshire.
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[edit] Description
Most Roman towns in Britain continued to exist after the end of the Roman era, and consequently their remains underlay their more recent successors, which are often still major population centres. Silchester is unusual in that, for reasons unknown, it was abandoned shortly after the end of the Roman era and, with the establishment of Reading Abbey, local political and commercial activity moved to nearby Reading. As a consequence, Silchester has been subject to relatively benign neglect for most of the last two millennia.[1]
The site covers a large area of over 100 acres (400,000 sq. metres) within a polygonal earthwork. The earthworks and, for much of the circumference, the ruined walls are still visible. The remains of the amphitheatre, added about AD 70-80 and situated outside the city walls, can also be clearly seen. By contrast, the area inside the walls is now largely farmland with no visible distinguishing features, other than the enclosing earthworks and walls, together with a tiny mediaeval church in one corner.[2][3]
[edit] Excavation
Silchester was completely excavated by the Society of Antiquaries of London between the years 1890 and 1909, and this excavation provided valuable information about civic life and daily life in the first centuries of the Common Era, as well as a map of the Romano-British town. Whilst the excavation techniques of the time were adequate to deal with buildings with stone foundations, work in other towns of Roman Britain has revealed that timber construction predominated in the first and second centuries AD, and the early excavations were not capable of recovering evidence of these buildings.[4]
Additionally, this early excavation was believed to have destroyed evidence that might have been analysed in more careful detail not only with current technology and practices, but with the tools and knowledge of future generations. As archaeological study of this kind can be a destructive process, the excavation of Silchester is frequently mentioned as an example of why complete excavation should not be performed.[citation needed]
However, since the 1970s the University of Reading has become increasingly involved in new excavations. Work has been undertaken on the amphitheatre and the forum basilica, which revealed remarkably good preservation of items from both the Iron Age and early Roman occupations. In (2004) exploration of one of the central insulae of the town was undertaken. Results indicated that the scope for further work inside and outside the walls is enormous.[5]
[edit] Location
The site of Roman Silchester is adjacent to the modern village of Silchester, in the English county of Hampshire adjacent to the border with Berkshire. Reading is some 10 miles to the north-east, whilst Basingstoke is 5 miles to the south. The grid reference of the site is SU639624.
[edit] Access
Now jointly owned by English Heritage and Hampshire County Council, the site of Roman Silchester is open to the public during daylight hours, seven days a week and without charge. The full circumference of the walls are accessible, as is the amphitheatre. The interior is farmed and, with the exception of the church and a single track that bisects the interior, inaccessible. Current excavations are sometimes open for visitors, and occasional organised open days are held; see the Reading University web site ('External links' below) for details.
The Museum of Reading, located in the Town Hall in central Reading, has a gallery devoted to Silchester, displaying many archeological finds from the various excavations.
[edit] External links
- Reading University web site on Silchester Roman Town
- Virtual Research Environment for the Silchester archaeological excavation
[edit] References
- ^ University of Reading (2004). A Guide to Silchester - Introduction. Retrieved September 22, 2005.
- ^ Hampshire County Council (2005). Discover Hampshire - Calleva Atrebatum - Roman Silchester. Retrieved September 22, 2005.
- ^ English Heritage. Silchester Roman City Walls and Amphitheatre. Retrieved September 22, 2005.
- ^ University of Reading (2004). A Guide to Silchester - History of the Excavations. Retrieved September 22, 2005. Section entitled 'The Victorian Excavations'.
- ^ ibid. Section entitled 'The University of Reading's Involvement'.
- Clarke, A., Fulford, M., Rains, M. & Shaffrey, R. (2001). Silchester Roman Town - The Insula IX Town Life Project: The Victorian Excavations of 1893. Retrieved December 20, 2005.
- Clarke, A., Eckardt, H., Fulford, M., Rains, M and Tootell, K., (2005). Silchester Town Life Project: Late Roman Insula IX. Retrieved December 20, 2005.
