VII.—Excavations at Caerwent, Monmouthshire, on the Site of the Romano-British City of Venta Silurum, in the years 1901–1903

T. Ashby; A.E. Hudd; A.T. Martin

doi:10.1017/S0261340900011516

VII.—Excavations at Caerwent, Monmouthshire, on the Site of the Romano-British City of Venta Silurum, in the years 1901–1903

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 November 2011

T. Ashby ,

A.E. Hudd and

A.T. Martin

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The excavations upon this portion of the site have been in progress since 1901, but it was not till 1903 that they were carried so far as to enable the Committee to submit a report upon them.

The land which has been under examination there is the property of Lord Tredegar, F.S.A., and the greater part of the cost of the work has been defrayed by him. The Committee desire to take this opportunity of expressing their gratitude, and their appreciation of the great help which he has given towards the exploration of Caerwent. There is no doubt that much of the support which they have received is due to the example which he has set.

Type: Research Article
Information: Archaeologia , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , 1904 , pp. 87 - 124

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900011516 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1904

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^{page 87 note a} 1881 Edition. In the Revised Edition of 1901 the “Site of North Gate ” is incorrectly marked further west, where a modern road passes through the line of the north wall. It is possible that an ancient street ran at least as far as the north wall, the street separating House No. II. from House No. IV. (these numbers refer to the buildings to the south of the modern high road shown in Archaeologia, lviii. pl. xxviGoogle Scholar.) and passing between the building excavated by Mr. Drake in 1894 (Proceedings of the Clifton Antiquarian Club, iii. 41Google Scholar), and the “site from which a tessellated pavement was removed by the late Bishop of Llandaff ” (Morgan, Octavius in Archaeologia, xxxvi. 425, pl. xxxiii. No. 7Google Scholar). Whether it passed through the city wall is quite unknown, and there is no reason for placing the North Gate here.

^{page 88 note a} This change of direction is not correctly represented in the 25-inch Ordnance Map.

^{page 88 note b} See Archaeologia, lviii. 138Google Scholar.

^{page 89 note a} It has by mistake been re-erected on the external east pier. It was resting on the débris which, till recently, filled up the north side of the gate.

^{page 90 note a} It is, however, possible that these grooves served to support the roof of some later structure which was built into the gateway. The holes on the east side are not so clearly marked as those on the west.

^{page 92 note a} It is noteworthy that the upper roadway was not discovered immediately inside the gate; it did not, in fact, begin to appear for about 4 feet from it. What has been the cause of its disappearance it is difficult to say.

^{page 92 note b} This filling is curiously inadequate, but there were no traces of any solid material to the north of it on the west side, while the east was naturally left open for the culvert. The mortar used in it is of inferior quality. It is quite possible that the wall across the gateway is later in date than the rest of the filling; it may indeed belong to the structure within the gate referred to above.

^{page 93 note a} Part of the drum of a column 1 foot 6 inches in diameter was found hereabouts.

^{page 93 note b} They are exactly like those found in House No. III. in 1900 (Archaeologia, lvii. 309Google Scholar). Similar rings have been found at Silchester, and also in France. See Archaeologia, lv. 422Google Scholar.

^{page 93 note c} Three collars all about 3 inches in diameter were found close together in the gateway.

^{page 94 note a} This is the measurement at the highest point preserved. At the bottom of the west end the amount of projection is the same, but at the east end it is 1 foot 8 inches only, the wall battering in slightly, as does also the main city wall.

^{page 96 note a} On the east it widens rapidly to about 20 feet, the widening taking place almost entirely on the north side.

^{page 96 note b} Near the gate it lies 2 feet 10 inches below the present grass level; the roadbed, of hard gravel, is 1 foot in thickness.

^{page 96 note c} From the fact that the stonework did not extend upwards for more than 3 feet 6 inches from its commencement it seems not at all improbable that the well was never finished. It was indeed remarkably shallow, and no water was found in it.

^{page 97 note a} Measurements in feet: (3) 14 by 7¼; (2) 10½ by 12; (1) 7½ by 12.

^{page 97 note b} The dimensions of the several rooms are in feet: (1) 18 by 27, the west end is the half of a regular hexagon with sides 14 feet in length; (2) 24 by 27; (3) 71 by 19¾.

^{page 97 note c} From this earlier wall near the middle of Room 3 a cross wall runs southwards, upon the west side of which are some remains of green plaster. The cross wall was naturally suppressed in the later house; at any rate the only portion of it that we have been able to lay bare.

^{page 97 note d} P. 22 (with one plate, from a drawing made for Mr. Octavius Morgan). Cf. also Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 2nd S. viii. 542, and the article by the same writer in Archaeologia, xxxvi. 418–437Google Scholar, and pl. xxxiii., already cited. In his list of discoveries (p. 425) Mr. Morgan notes: “3. Remains of two tessellated pavements, in great part destroyed ” at a point corresponding to the east end of House No. IIn.

^{page 97 note e} Upon the north wall of this room lies a mass of concrete with a slab beneath and lined vertically with slabs of old red sandstone. It may be a lime kiln, as it seems posterior to the destruction of the wall, and contained much lime rubbish.

^{page 98 note a} See the section of a precisely similar hypocaust in House No. II. Room 14, in Archoeologia lviii. pl. viiiGoogle Scholar.

^{page 99 note a} Under this pavement runs a solid foundation of stones cemented together for at least 4 feet, as though the ground had been insecure when this part of the house was built.

^{page 99 note b} Mr. Octavius Morgan notes in his article already cited the existence in the south-east angle of this garden of (No. 5) “remains of a ruined hypocaust with sandstone pillars,” which has, we were told, been found again quite recently, and in the south-west portion of it (No. 6) “two semicircular walls, apparently parts of towers” (sic).

^{page 100 note a} It probably extended as far as the street referred to above. The dimensions of the several rooms are as follows: No. 1, 6½ feet wide; No. 2, 8¾ feet by 7 feet; No. 3, 21½ feet wide; No. 4, 4¾ feet by 21½ feet; No. 6, 22½ feet by 20 feet; No. 7, 25½ feet by 20 feet; No. 8, 6 feet wide; No. 9, 10 feet by 6 feet; No. 10, 20 feet by 4¼ feet; No. 12, 19½ feet by 6½ feet; No. 13, 19¾ feet broad. No. 14, 6¾ feet wide; No. 15, 8 feet radius; No. 16, 7¼ feet wide; No. 17, 6¾ feet wide.

^{page 101 note a} The dimensions of the several rooms are as follows: No. 1, 14¾ feet by 11 feet; No. 2, 7½ feet by 15½ feet; No. 3, 14¼ feet by 15½ feet; No. 4, 8½ feet by 15½ feet; No. 5, 7½ feet by 26¾ feet; No. 6, 14 feet by 14¾ feet; No. 7, 8½ feet by 3½ feet; No. 8, 14 feet by 7¼ feet; No. 9, 7¾ feet by 11½ feet; No. 10, 14 feet by 13½ feet; No. 11, 10¾ feet by 17½ feet; No. 12,17 feet by 17½ feet; No. 13, 13¾ feet by 17½ feet; No. 14, 9 feet by 17½ feet.

^{page 101 note b} The number of threshold stones preserved is remarkable; they are all of oolite.

^{page 103 note a} Close to the north wall of Room 1 are two limestone paving blocks, which have either served as a step or are fragments of the original flooring.

^{page 103 note b} The dimensions in feet of the rooms of this house are as follows: (1) 6 by 7; (2) 6½ by 6¼; (3) 9 by 2½; (4) 9 by 17; (5) 10½ by 16¼; (6) 9¾ by 16½ (7) 12½ by 17; (8) 13 by 8.

^{page 104 note a} On the north side the foundations, 3 feet thick, are alone preserved.

^{page 104 note b} The arena of the Amphitheatre at Cirencester, which is enclosed by a monnd, measures 148 feet by 134 feet (Buckman and Newmarch, Corinium, 12), while that at Silchester measures 150 feet by 120 feet.

^{page 105 note a} This road, if prolonged, would lead to the south gate of the city; but it has not been possible to trace the middle portion of its course.

^{page 105 note b} It has also a branch southwards a good deal further to the west which has not yet been followed.

^{page 105 note c} The measurements of the rooms are as follows: Room No. 1, 13 feet by 6 feet; Room No. 2, 13¾ feet by 10 feet; Room No. 3, 33 feet by 21 feet; Room No. 4, 22 feet wide.

^{page 105 note d} To the north of it are the doubtful remains of a furnace, close to which a quern-stone was found almost entire.

^{page 106 note a} They rest merely upon earth, and it is possible that they should be treated merely as fallen rubbish.

^{page 106 note b} The dimensions of the several rooms on the plan are as follows: Room No. 1, 13¼ feet by 17½ feet; Room No. 2, 43½ feet by 18 feet; Room No. 3, 27¼ feet by 7½ feet; Room No. 4, 29 feet by 7½ feet; Room No. 5, 5¼ feet radius; Room No. 6, 14½ feet by 6½ feet; Room No. 7, 3 feet by 10¾ feet; Room No. 8, 7 feet by 10¾ feet; Room No. 9, 12¾ feet by 6½ feet; Room No. 10, 14¼ feet by 11 feet; Room No. 11, 3 feet by 6¾ feet; Room No. 12, 7 feet by 6¾ feet; Room No. 13, 13 feet by 11 feet; Room No. 14, 14 feet by 19 feet; Room No. 15, 19 feet by 7½ feet; Room No. 16, 25¼ feet by 7½ feet; Room No. 17, 10 feet by 7½ feet.

^{page 106 note c} Archaeologia, lviii. pl. viiiGoogle Scholar.

^{page 106 note d} Against its chord wall, near its north end, is a small trough, perhaps originally used for a post Roman burial, with sides formed of old red sandstone slates. It measures 1 foot 1 inch in width; the length is not fully preserved.

^{page 106 note e} If the existence of straight joints be any guide, it is noticeable that they occur at the points of contact of the walls of 3 and 4 with 6, 8, 9, 14, so that 1 to 4 may have been added later. But the utmost they can prove is that the whole house was not built all at the same time: the lack of bonding can hardly in such cases, especially low down in a wall, imply real differences of date.

^{page 107 note a} A small building of irregular outline built upon it opposite to the west end of House No. V n has walls with only the inner faces made, i.e. only one stone thick, and is certainly of later date. The Road bed runs right under it.

^{page 109 note a} The dimensions of the several rooms of House No. VIIIn are as follows: Room No. 1,16 feet wide; Room No. 2, 34 feet wide; Room No. 3, 13½ feet wide.

^{page 109 note b} In the next field Mr. Octavius Morgan (loc. cit.) notes (No. 1) “remains of tessellated pavement, disturbed and partly destroyed,” close to the boundary, and, further to the east (No. 24), “remains of the foundations of several rooms,” the latter even now clearly visible.

^{page 111 note a} The dimensions of the several rooms numbered on the plan are as follows: Room No. 1, 18 feet by 13 feet; Room No. 2, 11½ feet by 3¾ feet; Room No. 3, 5½ feet by 9¼ feet; Room No. 4, 11 feet by 9¼ feet; Room No. 5, 6 feet by 9¼ feet; Room No. 6, 19 feet by 18 feet; Room No. 7, 19¼ feet by 12 feet.

^{page 111 note b} A fragment, which was possibly a portion of a lamp for many wicks, or a flower-holder, of grey clay, was found here.

^{page 112 note a} Among the small objects found here was a small mortar of Purbeck marble 4½ inches in diameter, with sides ⅜ inch in thickness.

^{page 112 note b} The dimensions of the several spaces numbered on the plan are as follows: No. 2, 17 feet by 16½ feet; No. 3, 12 feet by 16 feet; No. 4, 14 feet wide.

^{page 112 note c} The widths of the spaces as numbered on the plan are as follows: No. 1, 12 feet; No. 2, 12 feet; No. 3, 8¾ feet.

^{page 112 note d} In that case the wall between it and Room 1 mast also be built on the road surface, which as a fact appears to the east of it.

^{page 113 note a} It is here only 13 feet 6 inches in width. On the north of it is a wall perhaps belonging to House No. II n.

^{page 114 note a} Near this angle a large grey pot, 1 foot in diameter, was found at a depth of about 3½ feet.

^{page 114 note b} This was apparently a standard width.

^{page 114 note c} The dimensions of the several rooms of House No. IX n are as follows: Courtyard, 75 feet by 33¼ feet; Boom 1, 16½ feet by 7 feet; Room 2, 16 feet by 13 feet; Room 3, 32½ feet by 20 feet; Room 4, 12¼ feet by 8¾ feet; Room 5 12¼ feet by 8¾ feet; Room 6, 7½ feet by 9 feet; Room 7, 7½ feet by 8½ feet.

^{page 114 note d} No. 1, 17¼ feet by 10¾ feet; No. 2, 8 feet wide; No. 3, 17 feet by 7¼ feet; No. 4,15 feet wide.

^{page 115 note a} Room 1, 14 feet by 11¼ feet; Room 2, 14 feet by 32½ feet; Room 3, 9 feet by 10½ feet; Room 4, 8½ feet by 25 feet.

^{page 115 note b} It was doubtful whether three different levels were found, or whether these were all layers in the road-bed.

^{page 121 note a} Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, vii. 1045Google Scholar.

^{page 121 note b} See Prosopographia Imperil Romani, i. 758Google Scholar.

^{page 122 note a} Athenæum, 26th September, 1903. Vol. for July—December, 1903, 420.

^{page 122 note b} There may have been another road level 9 inches thick, only 1 foot 7 inches down, but the soil is very hard and gravelly here, and the real level difficult to determine.

^{page 123 note a} See Archaeologia, lviii. 146Google Scholar.

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VII.—Excavations at Caerwent, Monmouthshire, on the Site of the Romano-British City of Venta Silurum, in the years 1901–1903

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