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A Roman Building at Chalk, near Gravesend

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

David E. Johnston
David E. Johnston*
Affiliation:
Department of Extra-Mural Studies, The University, Southampton
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Extract

Early in 1961 the mechanical grader scooping out the line of the street called Via Romana in the new Readers' Estate at Chalk, Kent (Nat. Grid Ref. TQ, 677730) exposed the corner of a buried building. Trial excavation directed by Mr. A. F. Allen was followed by a full excavation mounted by the Ministry of Works, with the full cooperation of the developers; this was directed by the writer and Mrs. Anne Eastham. The Readers' Estate overlooks the mudflats of the Thames estuary and bears a varied topsoil of clays, flint, pebbles and sand. Between this and the underlying chalk is a layer of weathered chalk, glacially deposited, and known as ‘head’ or ‘bullhead’. The foundations of our buildings were cut into this.

Type
Research Article
Information
Britannia , Volume 3 , November 1972 , pp. 112 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © David E. Johnston 1972. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 The samian from the entire excavation was kindly examined by Mr. A. P. Detsicas, M.A., F.S.A.

2 A number of traverses utilizing the ‘Wenner’ configuration, were made at varying spacings and intervals across the known position of the ditch. From these tests an electrode spacing of 8 ft. and a station interval of ift. were selected. End-on traverses at this spacing and station interval were made across the expected line of the ditch.

3 At Anthée, a cellar with niches, for bronze-founding (Grenier in Déchelette, , Manuel d'Archéologie, vi 2 (2), p. 847Google Scholar; weaving in Germany (Pliny N.H. xix 2, 2, in Germania autem defossi atque sub terra id opus agunt). Luxurious apartments at Chiragan (Grenier, op. cit., p. 856), wine and oil cellars with amphorae embedded in the floor (Ibid., p. 498).

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