The Roman Amphitheatre of Chester, Volume 1: the Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology

Description

This is the first of two volumes dealing with the major research excavations on the Chester Amphitheatre in 2004–2006. The amphitheatre was discovered in 1929 and partially excavated in the 1970s, after which the northern half was laid out as a public monument. Subsequent questions about the future of the site and the original interpretation prompted the recent work which was part funded by English Heritage and the (then) Chester City Council. The first amphitheatre was built in the 70s AD. It had a stone outer wall with external stairs and timber framed seating, the structure of which can be reconstructed. The second amphitheatre was built concentrically around the first, sealing deposits relating to the behaviour of spectators and the economy of spectacles in the first building. Amphitheatre 2, probably built in the later second century, was the largest and most impressive amphitheatre in Britain, featuring elaborate entrances, internal stairs and decorative pilasters on the outer wall. Although heavily robbed, sufficient survives to enable a confident architectural reconstruction to be proposed. Arena furniture hints at the type of spectacles that took place here. Beneath the seating banks of the amphitheatres evidence for prehistoric settlement was recovered – the first substantial prehistoric archaeology to be found in Chester. Occupation began with a Mesolithic phase, followed by a Middle Iron Age agricultural settlement and finally Late Iron Age cord-rig ploughing. This fully integrated volume tells the story of the site from the Mesolithic to the end of the life of the amphitheatre. It contains full stratigraphic and structural detail, including CGI reconstruction of Amphitheatre 2, artefactual and ecofactual evidence, and takes account of the findings of all excavations on the site since 1929. A second volume will deal with the robbing and reuse of the amphitheatre in the post Roman period, and the development of the medieval and post-medieval urban landscape of the site. Cover......Page 1 Book Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 List of figures......Page 12 List of tables......Page 17 Acknowledgments......Page 20 Summary......Page 22 Résumé......Page 24 Zusammenfassung......Page 26 PART 1: INTRODUCTION......Page 28 Military occupation before the fortress......Page 30 The construction of the fortress......Page 31 The second-century hiatus......Page 33 The fourth century and later......Page 34 The discovery of the amphitheatre......Page 36 Excavation and presentation 1952–72......Page 40 Dee House and development, 1992–2000......Page 46 Background......Page 48 Excavation......Page 49 Public access, popular publication and the amphitheatre conference......Page 51 Post-excavation assessment and analysis......Page 52 NATURAL GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND SOILS (Phase 0)......Page 56 Archaeological features......Page 57 Struck flint and stone......Page 58 By Dan Garner......Page 67 Middle Iron Age settlement (Phase 1b)......Page 71 By Ruth Pelling......Page 74 By David E Robinson and Zoë Hazell......Page 83 Phases 1b–2: Finds......Page 85 Discussion: Iron Age Chester and its wider context......Page 90 By Dan Garner ......Page 91 ROMAN OCCUPATION BEFORE THE AMPHITHEATRE (PERIOD 2: Phase 3)......Page 98 3.1 THE FIRST ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE(PERIOD 3)......Page 102 Area A......Page 104 Trench XII......Page 108 Trench 18......Page 110 Area A......Page 111 By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould, David Shotter,Margaret Ward and Tony Wilmott......Page 113 The timber-framed seating structure......Page 116 The outer wall and external stair......Page 117 Area B......Page 147 Previous work......Page 148 By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould, David Shotter,Margaret Ward and Tony Wilmott......Page 155 Area A......Page 156 South and west of the vomitorium......Page 157 North and east of the vomitorium......Page 161 Previous work......Page 166 By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould, David Shotter,Margaret Ward and Tony Wilmott ......Page 170 By Julian Baum and Tony Wilmott......Page 174 Outer wall and cavea......Page 179 The Nemeseum......Page 183 External activities......Page 185 Sand supply......Page 187 The outer wall......Page 189 The major entrances......Page 195 The vomitoria......Page 205 The Pilaster bases......Page 216 Architectural stonework......Page 219 By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould and TonyWilmott......Page 220 The arena......Page 221 AMPHITHEATRE 2: STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION AND DISCUSSION......Page 222 By Julian Baum and Tony Wilmott......Page 223 By Tony Wilmott and Julian Baum ......Page 225 By Tony Wilmott and Julian Baum......Page 231 The arena wall coping stone inscriptions......Page 234 Dating......Page 235 SYNTHESIS......Page 238 THE ROMAN COINS......Page 242 Methodology......Page 248 Summary of quantities and environmental condition......Page 249 Composition of the assemblage......Page 250 Vessel types and forms......Page 251 Evidence of wear, repair, re-working and re-use......Page 264 Chronology......Page 270 Phase summary and samian ware catalogue......Page 273 Post Roman phases containing residual samian ware......Page 284 Post Roman Phases 12–21 medieval, post medieval and modern......Page 293 Introduction......Page 304 Pottery fabrics......Page 306 Vessel forms......Page 309 Condition......Page 310 Roman pottery phase summaries and catalogue......Page 311 Post-Roman phases......Page 324 Discussion......Page 328 Colour......Page 330 Forms......Page 331 Polychrome vessels......Page 332 Catalogue......Page 335 Post-Roman Phases......Page 337 Introduction......Page 340 Military equipment......Page 341 Personal items and dress accessories......Page 351 Objects associated with written communication......Page 359 Tools......Page 360 Household equipment......Page 361 Structural ironwork......Page 363 Medical and toilet implements......Page 364 Buildings and services......Page 368 By Alison Heke......Page 370 Miscellaneous......Page 380 Addendum......Page 381 Ceramic building material (CBM)......Page 383 Cement Mix......Page 393 Earth mix (daub)......Page 397 Plaster......Page 399 Results......Page 404 Discussion......Page 405 Conclusions......Page 406 Mammals......Page 407 Birds......Page 436 Conclusions......Page 437 Methodology......Page 441 Description......Page 442 Discussion......Page 447 Conclusions......Page 456 Prehistory......Page 458 The advent of Rome and the first amphitheatre......Page 459 The second Roman amphitheatre......Page 460 Change of use and robbing (Phases 10–11)......Page 461 The use of the site in the Middle Ages (Phases 12–13)......Page 462 Conclusions......Page 463 APPENDIX 1: Quantification of archaeobotanical remains from Iron Age deposits......Page 464 APPENDIX 2: Samian stamps recorded from all excavations at Chester amphitheatre......Page 473 APPENDIX 3: A brief summary of Roman potteryfrom the 2000–03 excavations......Page 474 APPENDIX 4: Roman pottery fabric descriptions......Page 478 APPENDIX 5: Roman earth mix(daub) fabric descriptions......Page 485 APPENDIX 6: Quantification of archaeobotanical Remains in Romanand early post-Roman samples......Page 487 APPENDIX 7: Faunal remains:metrics by species......Page 492 Bibliography......Page 507 Index......Page 528