The Silchester Amphitheatre: Excavations Of 1979-85 (britannia Monographs)

With contributions from D. Allen, J. Bird, G. C. Boon, R. Bradley, P. Cannon, M. Corney, A. Grant, B. M. Dickinson, D. Richards, B. Sellwood, N. Sunter, J. Timby, A. van Scheepen, J. Watson. Principal Illustrator: Brian Williams. The amphitheatre at Silchester was taken into Guardianship by the Secretary of State for the Environment in late 1979; through the generosity of the Englefield Estate excavation was allowed to proceed before the Guardianship agreement was finalised. Although a number of other amphitheatres are known from both civilian and military sites in Britain, only three of them had been thoroughly examined before the present excavations began. The earliest excavation had been that of Maumbury Rings (1908-13), the amphitheatre associated with the civitas capital of Dorchester, Dorset, followed by the total excavation of the amphitheatre attached to the legionary fortress at Caerleon in south Wales in 1926-7. That half of the Chester fortress amphitheatre which did· not underly a Georgian listed building was mainly excavated between 1965 and 1969. Thus, Silchester's amphitheatre was only the second example associated with a civitas capital in Britain to be extensively explored. It had not previously been excavated, unlike the walled area which had been investigated on a large scale between 1890 and 1909. List of Contributors List of Plates List of Figures in the Text List of Tables in the Text Abbreviations Bibliography Preface and Acknowledgements PART 1: THE EXCAVATIONS OF 1979-85 1. Introduction 2. Scope of the Report 3. Pre-Amphitheatre Occupation 4. Timber Phase 1 5. Timber Phase 2 6. The Stone Amphitheatre 7. Collapse of the North Entrance, Robbing of Arena Wall and Desertion of Amphitheatre 8. Medieval Occupation 9. Post-Medieval Activity 10. Summary of Context Groups PART II: THE FINDS 1. The Coins by G. C. Boon 2. The Pottery Roman pottery by J. Timby Samian by J. Bird Samian Stamps by B. M. Dickinson Medieval pottery by J. Timby Post-Medieval pottery by J. Timby Clay Tobacco Pipes by P. Cannon Pottery Counters by J. Timby Discussion of Pottery by Context Groups: J. Timby Illustrated Sherds by J. Timby 3. The Glass 3.1 Roman Glass by D. Alien 3.2 Post-Medieval Glass by D. Alien and J. Timby 3.3 The Beads by M. Fulford 4. The Objects of Copper Alloy 4.1 The Brooches by M. Corney 4.2 Other Objects by M. Fulford 5. Objects of Iron by D. Richards 6. Slags by D. Richards 7. Objects of Stone 7.1 Querns, whetstones and sharpening stones by M. Fulford 7.2 Other carved and worked stone by M. Fulford 7.3 The Flint by R. Bradley 8. The Animal Bones by A. Grant 9. The Building Materials 9.1 The Wood by J. Watson 9.2 Rock Types represented in the Arena Wall by B. Sellwood 9.3 Tile and Brick by M. Fulford and J. Timby PART III The Evidence of Pollen for the Environment of the Amphitheatre by A. van Scheepen PART IV Observations on the Reconstruction of the Amphitheatre by N. Sunter PART V Discussion by Michael Fulford 1. Roman 1.1 Structural Parallels 1.2 Use of Amphitheatre 2. Medieval Ringwork 3. Late Medieval and Post-Medieval Use Index Throws light on one of the principal monuments of Roman Silchester and examines the functions of urban and military amphitheatres in Britain.