Lyde Green Roman Villa, Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire

Description

Lyde Green Roman Villa, Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire was excavated between mid-2012 and mid-2013 along with its surroundings and antecedent settlement. The excavations took place as part of the Emersons Green East Development Area, funded through the mechanism of commercial archaeology by Gardiner & Theobald LLP. The results of the stratigraphic analysis are given here along with specialist reports on the human remains, pottery (including thin sections), ceramic building material, small finds, coinage and iron-working waste. Six open-area excavations allowed the archaeologists the rare opportunity to trace a substantial part of the site's layout. Three ancillary buildings within the villa compound, including a bathhouse, were excavated. Evidence of advanced water management was uncovered in the form of lead piping, ceramic drain tiles and an enigmatic stone structure built into a canalised spring line. The villa's economy included stock raising, crop processing and iron and textile production. The settlement appears to have originated in the mid-1st century AD, or slightly earlier. Cover Title Page Copyright page Contents Page Contents List of Figures Introduction Figure 1.1 The location of Lyde Green Figure 1.2 The location of the trial trenches and excavation areas Research objectives, methodologies and summary of results Figure 2.1 Plan illustrating the location of Iron Age sites in the region of Bristol and South Gloucestershire Figure 2.2 The tribal territory of the Dobunni Figure 2.3 Plan showing the concordance of phasing between all excavation areas Figure 2.4 Archaeological features recorded within Excavation Area A by phase Figure 2.5 Selected sections across archaeological features within Excavation Area A Figure 2.6 Archaeological features recorded within Excavation Area B by phase Figure 2.7 Selected sections across archaeological features within Excavation Area B (1) Figure 2.8 Selected sections across archaeological features within Excavation Area B (2) Figure 2.9 Plan of archaeological features within Excavation Area C by phase Figure 2.10 Selected sections across archaeological features within Excavation Area C Figure 2.11 Plan of archaeological features within Excavation Area D by phase Figure 2.12 Selected sections across archaeological features within Excavation Area D Figure 2.13 Plan of archaeological features within Excavation Area E by phase Figure 2.14 Plan of archaeological features in Excavation Area F by phase The development of the landscape before the 1st millennium AD Figure 3.1 Neolithic stone axe (SF 23) Figure 3.2 Excavation Area A, phase 1 pit [1006] Dating the origins of the rural settlement at Lyde Green: a Late Iron Age enclosure system? Figure 4.1 Plan of the D-shaped enclosure excavated in Area D, with Wardell Armstrong’s 2013 Evaluation Trench 1 and gully terminus [118] also shown Figure 4.2 Plan of phase 1-3 within Excavation Area D, including the D-shaped enclosure ditch Figure 4.3 Plan showing Late Iron Age and Early Romano-British field system and enclosures (Excavation areas A-D, Periods 2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 4.1). Figure 4.4 Plan of pit [3949] and wind break [4212] plan and section, located within Excavation Area B Figure 4.5 Comparison of the D-shaped enclosure within Excavation Area D with Kingsdown Camp The Romano-British period and the villa estate Figure 5.1 Plan showing pre-villa features in excavation areas A-D Figure 5.2 T-shaped corn-drying oven {6236} with foundation trench (4193) located in Excavation Area B Figure 5.3 Structure {4226} within Excavation Area B Figure 5.4 Excavation Area C, phase 4 rectangular enclosure ditch [2468] Figure 5.5 Plan and section of well {2330} within Excavation Area C Figure 5.6 Three-celled rectangular building {1650} within Excavation Area D Figure 5.7 Plan of Excavation Area B showing features relating to the use-life of the Roman villa Figure 5.8 Floor plan of the tripartite corridor villa found within Excavation Area B Figure 5.9 Plan of structure {4213} found within Excavation Area B Figure 5.10 Plan of structures {4196} and {4235} found within Excavation Area B Figure 5.11 Plan of structure {4219} and furnace 3615 found within Excavation Area B Figure 5.12 Plan of structure {3583} found within Excavation Area B Figure 5.13 Plan showing the location of the cremation burials found in areas B and D The Romano-British artefacts (mid-1st century AD to 5th century AD) Figure 6.1 Profile illustrations of the handmade ceramics produced in the Iron Age tradition Figure 6.2 Illustration of six cremation urns and one accessory vessel (no. 88) Figure 6.3 Profile illustrations of Early Roman pottery Figure 6.4 Profile illustrations of the Early-mid Roman pottery (1) Figure 6.5 Profile illustrations of the Early-mid Roman pottery (2) Figure 6.6 Profile illustrations of the Mid-late Roman pottery Figure 6.7 Profile illustrations of the Late Roman pottery Figure 6.8 A selection of brooches from Lyde Green Figure 6.9 Selected small finds from Lyde Green. Items of personal adornment and toilet implements Figure 6.10 Selected small finds from Lyde Green Figure 6.11 Ceramic weights Figure 6.12 Lead pipe (SF 62) found within structure {4213} and column base found within structure {6197} Figure 6.13 The 77 coins from Lyde Green, by Reece period Figure 6.14 Comparison of the coins assemblage from Lyde Green with those from ten other villa sites in the region The development of the landscape from the Roman period to the present day Figure 7.1 Archaeological features of medieval and Post-medieval date recorded within the excavation areas Lyde Green and the Romano-British villas of South Gloucestershire Figure 8.1 The excavation areas, shown in relation to a Digital Terrain Model (LiDAR data from the Environment Agency, 2005). Figure 8.2 Map showing the altitude of villa sites within the region Figure 8.3 Lyde Green in the context of other Roman villa sites and the principal Roman roads in the region Figure 8.4 Map of villa sites in the region related to modern land-use Appendices Figure 9.1 Rubbings of decorated and stamped Samian ware sherds described in the catalogue Figure 9.2 Thin sections of the selected Roman pottery sherds Figure 9.3 Images of ceramic building material fabrics and mortar List of Tables Research objectives, methodologies and summary of results Table 2.1 Concordance of phasing between excavation areas The development of the landscape before the 1st millennium AD Table 3.1 Human remains recovered from Bronze Age Vessel 4 Table 3.2 The Bronze Age pottery: sherd count, vessel form and context The Romano-British period and the villa estate Table 5.1 Contextual information on cremations excavated in Areas B and D Table 5.2 The Human Remains: summary of the assemblage’s state of preservation Table 5.3 The Human Remains: measurements of bone fragmentation Table 5.4 The Human Remains: quantification of neonatal bones Table 5.5 Quantification of human skeletal elements from deposit (3203) Table 5.6 Age Estimates using regression equations from Scheuer et al. (1980) (In. Scheuer & Black 2000, 394 & 415) Table 5.7 Selected archaeobotanical data The Romano-British artefacts (mid-1st century AD to 5th century AD) Table 6.1 The Iron Age pottery. Distribution of ceramic forms by area and context Table 6.2 The Iron Age pottery: technology and surface finishing Table 6.3 The Iron Age pottery: fabric types Table 6.4 The Iron Age pottery: rim forms Table 6.5 The Iron Age pottery: rim diameters Table 6.6 Pottery summary by ware group and excavation area Table 6.7 Samian by manufacturing region. Incidence across Site Areas A-D and unstratified contexts. Percentage values show relative abundance by area as a proportion of all pottery. Table 6.8 Samian summary showing breakdown by vessel form/fabric. Table 6.9 Pottery attributed to ceramic phases 1-3 by ware group. The quantities given are sherd count, weight and rim EVEs Table 6.10 The Early Roman pottery (Ceramic phase 1: mid-1st c. to early 2nd c. AD) Table 6.11 Pottery from enclosure ditch [1005] in Area D, representative of Ceramic phase 1 (mid-1st c. AD to early 2nd c. AD) Table 6.12 Pottery assemblage from pit [1489] in Area D, representative of Ceramic Phase 2 (mid-2nd c. to mid-3rd c. AD) Table 6.13 Area C ditch [2296] and ditch [2444] (CP2) pottery summary Table 6.14 Area C ditch [2254] and Area B layer 3881 (CP3) pottery summary Table 6.15 Vessel forms summary by ‘Ceramic Phase’ Table 6.16 Stratified CBM form classes Table 6.17 CBM fabrics as a proportion of the whole assemblage Table 6.18 CBM forms in fabric T01 Table 6.19 CBM forms in fabric T11 Table 6.20 Number of different key classes on flue tile Table 6.21 List of stratified coins Table 6.22 Roman coins found during the excavations at Lyde Green Table 6.23 Total count and weight of each slag type Table 6.24 Dimensions of the furnace bases Table 6.25 Dimensions of the hearth bottoms The development of the landscape from the Roman period to the present day Table 7.1 Medieval pottery from Lyde Green Lyde Green and the Romano-British villas of South Gloucestershire Table 8.1 Attributes of villas within c. 17 km of Lyde Green Appendices Table 9.1 Summary of radiocarbon dates Table 9.2 HH-XRF analyses of the smelting tap slag samples (weight %) Table 9.3 HH-XRF analyses of the smelting slag and furnaces bases (weight %) Table 9.4 HH-XRF analyses of the hearth bottom samples (weight %) Table 9.5 HH-XRF analyses of the smithing slag samples (weight %) Table 9.7 Comparison of the mean values of the HH-XRF analyses of the tap slags and furnace bottoms from the Saxon Site and the tap slags and smelting slags from the Villa Site (weight %) List of Plates Research objectives, methodologies and summary of results Plate 2.1 The excavation team working on Area B in February 2013 The development of the landscape before the 1st millennium AD Plate 3.1 Sherds of Bronze Age pottery, Vessel 3 Dating the origins of the rural settlement at Lyde Green: a Late Iron Age enclosure system? Plate 4.1 Furnace [3949], showing wall {3863}, with wall {3921} in the background. Looking south The Romano-British period and the villa estate Plate 5.1 Well {6031}, looking east Plate 5.2 Ditch [4160] & layers (3141) and (4149), showing foundations {3123} of structure {4226}, looking southeast Plate 5.3 Enclosure [2017]/[2120], looking east Plate 5.4 Well {2330}, looking west Plate 5.5 Aerial view of structure {6197}, looking west Plate 5.6 Foundation trench [6039] – southwest corner, looking northeast Plate 5.7 Walls {6065} and {6075}, looking north Plate 5.8 Aerial shot of structures {4213} & {3967} (middle) and {4196} (background), looking south Plate 5.9 Rectangular pool [3370] within bathhouse, looking west Plate 5.10 Pool [3370] showing drainage culvert {4218} & walled cavity {3372}, looking west Plate 5.11 Culvert {4218} showing structure {3371}, looking east Plate 5.12 Well [3222], looking northwest Plate 5.13 Aerial shot of structure {4196} mid-excavation, showing wall {3897}/{3956} & structure {4235}, looking northeast Plate 5.14 Well [3535], looking west Plate 5.15 Shot of structure {3583} within ditch [4181], looking east Plate 5.16 Urn from Cremation no. 10 Plate 5.17 Pre-excavation shot of cist {6010}, looking north Plate 5.18 Cist {6010}, looking north Plate 5.19 Cist {3884} showing iron boot plate SF 122 in situ, looking north The Romano-British artefacts (mid-1st century AD to 5th century AD) Plate 6.1 Cremation no. 5 with urn in situ, looking west Plate 6.2 Fragment of possible siphon Plate 6.3 Walled cavity {3529} and lead pipe & ceramic drain {3425}, looking south The development of the landscape from the Roman period to the present day Plate 7.1 Culvert {2483}, looking east Plate 7.2 Medieval post-built structure {3967}, looking west Acknowledgements Editors’ foreword Chapter 1: Introduction Richard Newman, Matthew S. Hobson, and Damion Churchill 1.1. The purpose and format of this publication 1.2. Project background 1.3. The development site 1.4 Location, topography and geomorphology Chapter 2: Research objectives, methodologies and summary of results Richard Newman, Matthew S. Hobson, and Damion Churchill 2.1. The purpose of research objectives 2.2. Summary of the archaeological and historical background 2.3. Previous archaeological investigations 2.4. Wardell Armstrong’s evaluation trenches 2.5. The excavation areas: research objectives and methods 2.6. Post-excavation research objectives 2.7. Summary of the principal archaeological phases Chapter 3: The development of the landscape before the 1st millennium AD with contributions by Adrian Bailey, Kimberley Colman, Lynne Gardiner, David Jackson, Mike McElligott and Megan Stoakley 3.1. Neolithic stone axe 3.2. Bronze Age pits Robert Young and Richard Newman 3.3. Bronze Age pottery 3.4. Lithics 3.5. Overview of the pre-Iron Age evidence 3.6. An isolated Early Iron Age pit 3.7. Conclusion: Lyde Green before the 1st millennium AD Chapter 4: Dating the origins of the rural settlement at Lyde Green Richard Newman and Matthew S. Hobson with contributions by Lynne Gardiner, Mike McElligott, Ed McSloy and Megan Stoakley 4.1. Archaeological deposits containing ‘Middle to Late Iron Age’ pottery 4.2. Excavation Area D: stratigraphic phases 4.3. Additional evidence from Excavation Areas B and C 4.4. The enclosures: context, duration, function and reasons for change 4.5. Archaeobotany 4.6. Discussion Chapter 5: The Romano-British period and the villa estate 5.1. Romano British occupation and land-use from the early 2nd century AD to the mid-3rd century AD 5.2. The enclosure system Mike McElligott, Richard Newman, Matthew S. Hobson and Megan Stoakley with contributions by Don O’Meara and Lynne Gardiner 5.3. Pre-villa structures and evidence of occupation 5.4. The villa complex and its development 5.5. A tripartite corridor villa 5.6. The villa estate’s ancillary buildings 5.6. Areas C and D as part of the villa estate 5.7. Romano-British burial 5.8. Human remains 5.9. Archaeobotany 5.10. Zooarchaeology 5.11. Discussion 5.12. The abandonment of the villa estate Chapter 6: The Romano-British artefacts (mid-1st century AD to 5th century AD) 6.1. Locally produced handmade pottery in the Middle to Late Iron Age tradition 6.2. Roman pottery 6.3. Ceramic building material 6.4. Small finds 6.5. Coins Chapter 7: The development of the landscape from the Roman period to the present day 7.1. Introduction 7.2. A post-villa period well? Richard Newman with contributions from Ed McSloy and Megan Stoakley 7.3. Medieval 7.4. Post-medieval 7.5. Small finds 7.6. Bulk finds 7.7. Discussion Chapter 8: Lyde Green and the Romano-British villas of South Gloucestershire 8.1. What is a villa? Richard Newman 8.2. The villa as a farmstead and the villa estate 8.3. Summary of the excavated evidence from Lyde Green 8.4. Romano-British settlement in the vicinity of Mangotsfield, Pucklechurch and Westerleigh 8.5. The villas of South Gloucestershire 8.6. South Gloucestershire’s villas and the Late Roman villa Chapter 9: Appendices Appendix 1: Catalogue of Bronze Age pottery Appendix 2: Table of radiocarbon dates Appendix 3: Catalogue of decorated Samian and Samian stamps Appendix 4: Petrographic report of thin-section analyses Appendix 5: Fabric descriptions of ceramic building material Appendix 6: XRF methodology and tables Appendix 7: Methodology for analysis of the human remains Appendix 8: Roman pottery illustration catalogue Bibliography Abbreviations Bibliographical references Back cover