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The Romano-British Shrines at Brigstock, Northants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2011

Ernest Greenfield
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Summary

Two shrines of circular and polygonal shape, probably part of a larger group, were erected early in the second half of the third century A.D., and occupied until late in the fourth century. The shrines occur in an area of widespread settlement dating from the late Iron Age until the end of the fourth century. Many objects of bronze and iron of ritual significance, together with a large number of votive deposits and coins, were recovered from the circular shrine. Miss M. V. Taylor's discussion of the principal objects appears on pp. 264–8.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , September 1963 , pp. 228 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1963

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References

page 228 note 1 Similar in fact to Collyweston, , J.R.S. (1954), pp. 133–4Google Scholar, fig. 16, and Chanteroy, , Haute-Marne, , Rev. Archéologique (1899), i, 215–30Google Scholar.

page 228 note 2 Nat. Grid. 1″ O.S. Map 134/961. 858.

page 228 note 3 O.S. 25″. Sheet XVIII. 10.

page 228 note 4 Thanks are due to Mrs. E. Fry-Stone, Mr. Peter Ewence, and Mr. David Neal for drawing the small finds and the pottery; to Miss Vivien Russell, who was my Assistant Supervisor on the site; to Miss S. A. Butcher for arranging the excavation and for every help in the preparation of this report; to Mr. L. Biek and his colleagues (Ancient Monuments Laboratory), for investigating the finds, composing the coin and bone tables, and arranging for the specialist reports; to Mr. W. N. Terry and Miss N. Whitcomb ofNorthampton Museum, Mr. F. V. Lyall of Kettering Museum, Dr. J. Alexander and Mr. M. J. Seaborne for their help and co-operation during the excavation. To Mr. B. A. Scarborough, Mr. R. J. Wicksteed, Mr. J. Elliot Bailey, and Mr. C. Barlow, who helped so much, especially in the initial stages of the work, and to Mrs. G. Brown, Miss A. Tyman, and Miss B. Miller, who worked as volunteers on the site. The following specialists are also thanked for their co-operation and for their reports: Mr. D. F. Allen (Coritanian Stater); Mr. R. A. G. Carson (Roman Coins); Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Hartley (Samian and Mortaria); Miss D. Charlesworth (Glass); Dr. R. G. Newton (In taglio); Miss J. E. King, Mrs. M. Jope (Animal bones); Dr. V. Wilson (Geology); Mr. D. F. Cutler (Charcoals); Miss Helen A. H. Macdonald (Stone); Mr. J. Sparks (Bronzes). The Society of Antiquaries and the author are grateful to the Ministry of Public Building and Works for a grant towards the publication of this paper.

page 233 note 1 F. 14, 17–26, 29–30, and 32–42.

page 234 note 1 The bones were identified by Mrs. M. Jope (Queen's University, Belfast). Domestic fowl (Gallus sp.): humerus 1 R., 1 L.; radius 1 R., 1 L.; ulna 1 R.; femur I R.; tibiotarsus 1 R.; coracoid I R., 1 L.; clavicle 1; scapula 1 R., 1 L.; sternum 1: sacrum 1.

page 243 note 1 Around the remaining outlines (about three-quarters of the circumference) of the single extant hole, minute traces of ?iron staining are visible on one side, suggesting that an iron ring might have been attached through it (as in fig. 7, no. 7, but with the two metals reversed). Perhaps more significant similar ‘pressure annulus’ is clearly visible, on the same side, confirming the similarity of the two objects in this respect. Again, no traces of any fibrous material are immediately visible, and any ring must have been separated by some distance while corroding. L. BIEK

page 243 note 2 The analyses of nos. 8, 11, and 18 were kindly carried out by Mr. J. Sparks at the Tin Research Institute by courtesy of the Director, in an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, i.e. non-destructively. No. 8. Both sides of one fragment were examined, The elements detected in order of X-ray intensity were:

Copper, tin, iron, silver, lead-and-arsenic, and nickel. The X-ray intensities correspond to a very brittle (about 50 per cent, tin-copper) alloy but the sample seems to have been mechanically marked so it is likely that the sample is either copper or bronze which has been coated with tin. Silver is not a major constituent of this sample.

page 245 note 1 No. 11. Two parts of the ring were examined —the outer face opposite the break, and the outer face at the polished end. No significant difference was found between the areas. The material is a high tin bronze containing impurities of lead, iron, zinc, and silver.

page 247 note 1 Report on intaglio (no. 12) by R. G. Newton, Ph.D., D.I.C., of The British Glass Industry Research Association: ‘The intaglio turns out to be yellow-green in colour (not blue as at first appears) and the colouring material in the glass is undoubtedly iron. The yellow-green colour is far too inhomogeneous to get a satisfactory transmission, but we consider that it is not a flashed glass. Spectroscopic analysis shows that the glass was of the soda-lime-silica type with minor amounts (say 2 per cent.) of iron, copper, tin, and potassium (but the copper and tin probably represent contamination from the bronze ring), and smaller amounts (less than 1 per cent.) of magnesium and lead. There were also trace amounts (less than 0·1 per cent.) of manganese, nickel, titanium, barium, strontium, and lithium, but these are not of significance. We did not find any evidence of the original fixative’.

page 247 note 2 No. 18. This bead was found to contain mainly silver, with about 15 per cent, copper and also some iron, lead, tin, and zinc.

page 249 note 1 There is another iron pole-tip in Mr. Scarborough's possession at Norman Gate Primary School, found by him on the ploughed surface above the circular shrine.

page 249 note 2 No. 6. A microscopic trace, only, of green Pcopper corrosion product is visible in one of the holes, and may not be significant. Raised annuli appear around the holes, on one side only, and on opposite sides to each other. These are the result of punching the holes in the metal, rather thicker in this case, and should not be confused with the ‘pressure annuli’ on other pole-tips (fig. 5, no. 5 and fig. 7, no. 7). There is no evidence of significant fibre residues.

page 249 note 3 No. 7. One hole is broken, but clear; the copper alloy ring associated with it carries extensive traces of rust, and there are some copper corrosion products around the broken hole. The other hole clearly appears on the X-radiograph, with part of a non-ferrous metal fragment, presumably the remains of the other ring (not found) still in situ. Two fragments of thin copper alloy sheet are associated with the find; they both show partly folded edges which appear to match the tip of the pole-tip. It is very likely that they represent the remains of a ‘sheath’ hammered round the tip. No green corrosion products are visible on the surface of the poletip, and only a faint trace of ?rust can be seen on the inside surface of the ‘sheath’, suggesting that the two separated before a significant corrosion had occurred. No traces of any fibrous material are immediately apparent, either on the ring or around the hole. The annular area around the edge of the hole, however, shows a regular ‘pressure mark’ similar in nature to the effects of‘pressure points’ observed in certain textile fragments where warp or weft, only, has decayed. There is no other evidence to suggest a reason for such an annulus here, but it might have been due to some tightly fitting ring lining the hole, and made of some other material, now lost. If so, it must have been made of something that exerted enough pressure in situ for some time, while corrosion proceeded, and was then forced clean away, because no other trace of the material itself remains. L. Biek

page 250 note 1 No significant evidence could be found on microscopical examination of the approx. one-third of the circumference remaining of the hole which is not completely obscured by rust. In the X-radio-graph, the other hole shows clearly but does not appear to contain any residues of a putative ring, certainly not one of copper alloy. (Any such evidence remaining is no longer accessible to investigation in any other way, as e.g. by cleaning, which would destroy it.)

page 250 note 2 No. 12. The X-radiograph shows a flattened rivet or pin passing through a hole in the blade at right angles to its plane. General Note. No evidence of non-ferrous plating has been observed on any X-radiographs of iron objects from this site. L. Biek

page 251 note 1 In this state indistinguishable.

page 255 note 1 The stamp was drawn for publication by Mrs. Hartley.

page 258 note 1 Report in preparation.

page 261 note 1 All bones from the site were submitted to Miss J. E. King (Natural History) British Museum, whose list of identifications has been deposited with the Ministry records. I am grateful to Mr. L. Biek and Mr. E. S. Cripps. for much helpful discussion concerning the significance of these finds.

page 261 note 2 The peat-bog site at Rislev, in South Zealand (KUML, 1961, p. 47), where deposits of domestic animal bones (horse, ox, sheep, pig, and dog) were associated with human corpses, has produced similar evidence. The site is dated to the fourth to fifth century A.D.

At Verulamium in the floor of the ‘Triangular Temple’, bones of birds, pig, sheep or goat, and ox were found in a series of small pits. Wheeler, Verulamium, p. 113, pi. xxxiv.