A
936-page report into the Millennium dig in the grounds of Archaeologists
dug five trenches on the Castle Green and Eastern Way and, over the following
three years, unearthed a huge quantity of pottery, armour, weapons, and,
unusually, wooden remains. They normally rot away but, because of the
waterlogged soil, 2,000 large pieces of timber were discovered. The dig,
part of the Millennium project which led to the Irish Gate Bridge construction,
also saw 2662 fragments of pottery – including 442 bowls from Gaul
– 536 Roman coins, 30,250 bits of animal bone, 11 spearheads and 32
arrowheads recovered. Twenty one brooches, nine pieces of bracelet, 10 hairpins
and 41 glass beads were also found. But it is
the extensive wooden and leather remains – which include posts, shoes and
tents – that surprised the archaeologists, leading to a “wealth of
evidence” about the structure of Roman buildings which does not normally
survive. “The
survival of wooden structures is still uncommon in “The
data from this site has added significantly to the knowledge concerning the
construction and appearance of Roman military buildings in the first and second
centuries. “The
huge range of the finds demonstrates, on occasions quite startlingly, the very
special nature of the archaeological deposits in Articulated
armour never before found in the Mr Zant,
of Oxford Archaeology North, spent years cataloguing, conserving and assessing
the finds, and said they always knew they would find “extremely important
material”. He was
also involved in the dig at the fort – believed to have been built in 72
or 73AD for around 500 soldiers – and described it as “one of the
most significant excavations in north England with elements of national, even
international, significance.” The finds
enabled archaeologists to work out, for the first time, how small pieces of
wood were used in building construction and that the internal walls of the fort
could be easily changed. A picture
of the everyday life of the soldiers also emerges, with finds showing how they
hunted deer on a regular basis (270 bones were found), ate mutton rather than
lamb (the sheep bones were too old to be young animals) and played a Roman
version of draughts – ludus latrunculorum – as 12 black and white
glass counters were found. A
wooden-soled bath shoe was found, suggesting there may have been a bath house
nearby, possibly close to the River Caldew, but it has never been found. Razor
blades, combs and fragments of mirrors showed that the soldiers made an effort
with their appearance. One of the combs even had a whole louse still stuck in
one of the teeth. Tim
Padley, keeper of archaeology at Tullie House, said it built up a fascinating
picture of an army “arriving in the back of beyond.” “You
have got to sleep somewhere, get things to eat out of, all that really brings
it to life. All that may not necessarily be significant, but it’s really
exciting. You’re dealing with the practicalities of arriving in a strange
place.” He
described “ “One
of the most significant [things we have learned] is the position of the fort
itself,” he added. “Thirty years ago there was a possibility it was
under the cathedral.” Tullie
House is to open a new Roman gallery next July which will feature some of the
finds but take a bigger, overall look at the The
archaeological report claims that Carlisle’s ‘value’
“can be listed alongside PAULO ALEXANDRE MONTEIRO *** ******* This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message. |
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