The Romano-british 'small Town' At Wanborough, Wiltshire: Excavations, 1966-1976 Wanborough

With contributions by D. M. Bailey, J. Bayley, T. F. C. Blagg, D. G. Buckley, S. A. Butcher, A. Cameron, T. C. Darvill, B. Dickinson, C. M. Guido, B. R. Hartley, K. F. Hartley, M. Henig, R. Holgate, A. D. Hooley, S. Horton, A. Isaac, R. P. J. Jackson, S. J. Keay, C. Keepax, G. Lloyd-Morgan, L. Mepham, L. Monk, T. S. N. Moorhead, H. Pengelly, A. B. Powell, R. Reece, R. H. Seager Smith, R. F.Tylecote, S.Vaughan and B.Walters. Wanborough, near modern Swindon, is the site of a Romano-British small town on Ermin Street, between Cirencester and Silchester. It is usually identified with the Durocornovium of the Antonine Itinerary. This report presents the results of excavations along Ermin Street undertaken before development between 1966 and 1976. From possible military origins the settlement developed into a 'small town', which in the late 3rd and 4th century extended to over 25 ha. and seems to have been divided into insulae. Many buildings were excavated, including a rare type of timber-framed building in which the joists rested on stones that raised them from the ground. The large number of finds suggests that most of the buildings were both residential and 'commercial', while the products of the local north Wiltshire pottery industry are also prominent in the major pottery assemblage. The excavations at Wanborough provide an insight into the everyday life and crafts of an ordinary roadside settlement or 'small town' in southern England. List of Plates vii List of Figures viii List of Tables xi Acknowledgements xii Summary xiii Résumé xiv Zusammenfassung xv PART ONE: THE EXCAVATIONS 1. Introduction 1 Geology and Topography 1 Reasons for the Excavations 1 Recording and Notation Systems 5 2. The Excavations 1967–1976 (A. S. Anderson) 6 Excavations in 1967 6 Excavations in 1968 6 Excavations in 1969 6 Excavations in 1970 7 Excavations in 1975 7 Excavations in 1976 7 3. Chronology (A. S. Anderson) 8 Period 1: First century A.D. 8 Period 2: Late first to third centuries A.D. 8 Period 3: Third and fourth centuries A.D. 8 4. Results (A. S. Anderson and A. B. Powell) 9 Pre-Roman 9 Roman 9 Period 1 Phase A 9 Period 1 Phase B 11 Period 1 Phase C 14 Period 2 Phase A 14 Period 2 Phase B 16 Period 3 Phase A 21 Period 3 Phase B 28 PART TWO: THE FINDS 5. The Prehistoric Finds 37 Flint and Bronze (R. Holgate) 37 Flint 37 Bronze 38 Prehistoric pottery (L. Mepham) 38 6. Coins (R. Reece) 39 7. The Brooches (S. A. Butcher) 41 Metallurgical examination and analysis of the brooches (J. Bayley) 69 8. Copper alloy and silver objects (A. D. Hooley) 75 9. Lead Objects (A. S. Anderson) 117 10. Pewter Objects (A. S. Anderson) 119 11. Iron Objects (A. Isaac) 121 Metallurgical Examination of the Ironwork (R. F. Tylecote) 139 Examination of Slags and Furnace Material (R. F. Tylecote) 144 12. Jet and Shale Objects (S. Horton) 148 13. Carved and Sculptured Stones, Clay and Metal Figurines (T. F. C. Blagg) 153 14. Querns and Millstones (D. G. Buckley) 156 15. The Whetstones (L. Mepham) 161 16. Glass (L. Monk) 162 17. Glass Beads (C. M. Guido) 172 18. Intaglios (M. Henig) 174 19. Lamps (D. M. Bailey) 177 20.The Samian (H. Pengelly, B. R. Hartley and B. Dickinson) 179 The Potters’ Stamps (B. Dickinson) 192 21. Amphorae (S. J. Keay) 210 22. Mortaria (K. F. Hartley) 220 23. The Coarse Pottery (R. H. Seager Smith) 232 24. Stamps on Coarsewares and Oxfordshire Colour-coated Ware (A. S. Anderson) 301 25. The Face Masks (L. Mepham) 305 26. The Graffiti (A. S. Anderson) 307 27. The Decorated Wallplaster (B.Walters) 309 28. The Marked Tiles (L. Mepham) 313 29. The Roman Ceramic Tile Fabrics (T. C. Darvill) 317 30. The Counters (L. Mepham) 320 31. Objects of Bone and Related Materials (S. Vaughan) 322 32. Leather Objects (A. D. Hooley) 333 33.The Human Bones (A. Cameron, J. Bayley and C. Keepax) 342 PART THREE: DISCUSSION Period 1 345 Period 2 345 Period 3 347 APPENDIX 1 A Roman Coin Hoard from Wanborough (T. S. N. Moorhead) 351 BIBLIOGRAPHY 356 INDEX 372 Presents the results of excavations along Ermin Street undertaken before development between 1966 and 1976. This book provides an insight into the everyday life and crafts of an ordinary roadside settlement or 'small town' in southern England. The large number of finds suggests that most of the buildings were both residential and 'commercial'. By A.s. Anderson, J.s. Wacher And A.p. Fitzpatrick. English Heritage--cover. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 356-371) And Index.