Worcester Magistrates Court: Excavation of Romano-British homes and industry at Castle Street

Description

In the summer of 2000 archaeological excavations on the periphery of the Roman ‘small town’ at Worcester revealed extensive evidence for timber-framed buildings, probably representing the lower status homes of some of the settlement’s inhabitants. Major changes during the later Roman period led to much of the site being levelled and a series of gravel and cobbled surfaces being laid out. Several new structures were then built in this area, including a substantial post-built rectangular building, together defining a courtyard associated with a number of hearths, thought to be part of a smithy complex. It may even have formed one element of a wider ‘light industrial’ zone of the settlement, with evidence for pottery production and other metalworking in the vicinity. This volume presents the results of this work, setting it in the context of increasing archaeological investigation of Roman Worcester, which together is transforming our understanding of the settlement. Cover Title Page Copyright Archaeology of Roman Britain, Volume 2 Of Related Interest Dedication Acknowledgements Contents List of illustrations List of tables Abstract 1. Introduction 1.1. Background to the work 1.2. Geology, topography and drainage 1.3. The nature of the archaeological record 2. Roman Worcester and its regional setting 2.1. Regional overview The development of nucleated centres in the region Rural occupation in the region Roman industry 2.2. Roman Worcester 3. Results of the excavations 3.1. Natural deposits and features 3.2. Phase 1 – early deposits and features (c AD 100–175) Phase 1a – enclosure Boundary/enclosure and associated features (G1, G3, G125, G148) Oven and associated features (G7, G8) Phase 1b – changes to the enclosure boundary Circular structure (G31) Burnt or industrial features (G85, G89, G109, G151, G156, G157) Ovens with stake-holes (G63, G64) Features to the north of the boundary ditch (G52) 3.3. Phase 2 – establishment of rectilinear structures within the site (c AD 125–225) Early east-west aligned structure in the south-west part of the site (G149) Rectangular structures (G10, G53, G54, G145) (early-mid-2nd century) Rebuilt structure (G11, G98) (late 2nd century) Structure and associated industry in the south-west part of the site (G88, G111, G112) (late 2nd century) Associated industrial activity (G17, G30, G44, G59, G60, G80, G128) (mid-2nd century) Well (G120) Cremation burial (G126) Pits and other cut features (G65, G114, G127) 3.4. Phase 3 – terracing of the site (c AD 250–320) Soil layers in the south-west corner of the site Main surface and patching (G19) Possible gravel base for a small rectangular structure Impressions in the gravel for rectilinear structures (G16, G200, G18) 3.5. Phase 4 – industry and occupation (c AD 250–320) Cess pit (G141) Workshop in the south-west part of the site (G5, G15, G24, G25, G41, G43, G45, G129, G134, G137) Other industrial activity (G26, G123, G124, G142) Sandstone footing (G131) Associated industrial features (G138, G139, G140) Wheel ruts on the main surface (G143, G161) Other pits (G95, G121, G147) 3.6. Post-Roman archaeology 4. The pottery 4.1. Introduction and methods 4.2. Taphonomy 4.3. Chronology Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 4.4. Fabrics Class A, amphorae Class B, black burnished wares Class C, shell-tempered ware Class F, colour-coated wares Class G, gritted wares Class M, mortaria Class O, oxidised wares Class Q, white-slipped oxidised wares Class R, reduced wares Class S, samian wares Forms, products and condition South Gaulish wares Central Gaulish ware East Gaulish ware Graffiti Wear and repair Re-working and re-use Further discussion of samian ware Class W, whitewares 4.5. Functional and fineware analysis 4.6. Repaired vessels 4.7. Burnt and sooted vessels 4.8. Discussion of pottery Supply Status 5. The finds 5.1. Introduction and Summary 5.2. Coins 5.3. Copper alloy Jewellery and personal items Toilet instruments Other items 5.4. Iron Iron objects Hobnails and nails 5.5. Ceramic 5.6. Vessel and window glass Blue-green glass bottles Other blue-green vessels Pale green vessels Colourless vessel Window glass 5.7. Stone Querns Upper stones Lower stones Whetstone Furniture fragment 5.8. Ceramic building materials Brick and tile Fired clay 5.9. Ironworking residues Slag Magnetic micro-residues Discussion of ironworking residues 6. Environmental evidence 6.1. Faunal remains Methodology Preservation Residuality and contamination Fragmentation Results of analysis Cattle Sheep/goat Pig Horse Dog Deer Birds Other Discussion of the animal bone 6.2. Charred plant remains Methods Results Discussion of the plant remains 6.3. Sediments Natural sands Buried soil beneath cobbles in eastern area ‘Dark earth’ layer exposed in the southern section Discussion of the sediments 7. The human bone 7.1. Cremated bone and aspects of the mortuary rite Disturbance and condition The dead Cremation Bone weight Fragmentation Skeletal elements Pyre goods and debris Burial formation process Conclusion 7.2. Analysis of residues in the cremation vessel 7.3. Other human bone 8. Archaeomagnetic dating 9. Interpretation of the archaeology within the site 9.1. Date of occupation and activity 9.2. Nature of occupation Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 10. The site, Roman Worcester and smithing Bibliography Appendix 1 – Pottery fabric descriptions Appendix 2 – Fabric occurrence by phase Appendix 3 – Catalogue of pottery Appendix 4 – Pottery form occurrence by phase Appendix 5 – Occurrence of samian vessels across contexts Appendix 6 – Bone butchery marks Appendix 7 – Lipid analysis of cremation vessel