Reading university web site on silchester roman town. English heritage are the guardians of the wall and amphitheatre which is owned by the englefield estate. Silchester s sole public house is the calleva arms, named after the former roman town of calleva atrebatum that lies within the village boundary. Investigating the iron age and roman town and landscape. Michael fulford, amanda clarke, emma durham, nicholas pankhurst, late iron age calleva. The piece confirms that the site was used in the production of building material endorsed by the emp eror nero for use in construction at silchester. The town was largely abandoned for unknown reasons during the fifth or sixth century. Silchester roman town calleva atrebatum by ben johnson calleva situated close to the village of modernday silchester was once the centre of the iron age kingdom of the atrebates, however after the conquest of ad43 the settlement developed into a major roman town called calleva atrebatum. The late iron age oppidum and roman town of calleva atrebatum. Silchester town life project publications since 1997. Calleva atrebatum a roman town in silchester berkshire was founded in the first century ad. There are only 14 such tiles known in the uk including this one and one found in the 1920s at this site by the rev, carslake, plus the.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Silchester is most notable for the archaeological site and roman town of calleva atrebatum, an iron age and later atrebates celtic settlement first occupied by the romans in about ad 45 and includes what is considered the bestpreserved roman wall in great britain and remains of what might one of the oldest christian churches. Recent aerial photography and geophysical survey had shown that more buildings existed here than had been originally identified by the victorian excavators in 1893. The timeline below runs through some of the key points in the sites history from then until the. The amphitheatre is located on a minor road, 1 mile north east of silchester. Life on the dig is a beautifully illustrated book to accompany michael fulfords account of the working archaeological dig which took place at the roman town of silchester, every summer until 2014.
Nearest train stations are bramley and mortimer, each 2 3. This is the real roman tour and a step back in history. The central archaeological site, in north hampshire, is of international significance, and is classed as a scheduled ancient monument. Professor mike fulford discusses the transition of silchester from iron age to roman town, along with analysing many of the finds within the 18.
Feb 17, 2011 the iron age and roman town of calleva atrebatum can be found deep in the north hampshire countryside in the parish of silchester. Silchester roman town the insula ix town life project. The iron age and roman town of calleva atrebatum can be found deep in the north hampshire countryside in the parish of silchester. Covering a slightly larger area than its iron age predecessor. Unusually among the roman towns of southern britain, it was not abandoned until the. History of silchester roman city walls and amphitheatre. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The only surviving evidence of any medieval occupation of the site is the 12th century church of st mary the virgin. Calleva was first occupied by the romans in about 45 ad, on the site of an earlier iron. Silchester roman city walls and amphitheatre english. The parish has regular events and village activities through the year including a beer festival, fun run, church fete, and music festival. The university of reading department of archaeology has undertaken excavations within the walls of silchester iron age oppidum and roman town calleva atrebatum since the 1970s, led by prof michael fulford cbe.
The town life project 19972002 university of reading. The preconquest occupation at silchester insula ix. Calleva atrebatum, the insula ix town life and new environs projects, university of. Jenny halsteads lively images bring the final summer of the town life project to life. University of reading, department of archaeology, reading, pp17. The project focuses on excavating insula ix, and thereby creating a map and chronology of town life in the silchester roman town, calleva atrebatum. Third roman temple unearthed in silchester the history blog. Silchester in hampshire has its origins as calleva, a centre of the iron age atrebates tribe from the late 1st century bc.
Silchester is a village in hampshire standing some 5 miles north of basingstoke. Then, the dig was filled in, for future archaeologists to dig up again in the future. Domesday book 1086 lists a village known as silcestre. A report from our foreign well he does reside in wales correspondent mr steve one of my current projects is to retire my oldest desktop computer and build a nice new shiny one and so when late last week i was offered virtually everything i needed at a price too good to refuse, an immediate trip to north london was required before they had a chance to sober up. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The university of readings excavation of approximately onethird of insula ix see above began in 1997. Due to the unfolding coronavirus pandemic, the department of archaeology at the university of reading has taken the very difficult and sad decision to cancel this summers season of fieldwork at the silchester roman town bathhouse. The town life project is an ongoing excavation of one block of the silchester roman town by the department of archaeology at the university of reading. The roman name for silchester was calleva atrebatum which denotes its role as the centre of the territory of the atrebates, one of the major late iron age tribes in. Silchester roman town walk a brief description of the walk.
Silchester and the study of romanobritish urbanism journal of roman archaeology supplements 9781887829908. The town life project was an 18 year excavation of one block of the silchester roman town by the department of archaeology at the university of reading. Clarke, a, fulford, m and mathews, m, silchester insula ix. The site at silchester has been inhabited since at least the first century bc. The path that leads from the car park to the drove and on to the church is a gravel surface. Silchester roman town calleva atrebatum historic uk. Insula ix was first excavated in 1893, the fourth season of a twenty year project by the society of antiquaries of london to excavate the entire roman city of calleva atrebatum silchester. Nearest train stations are bramley and mortimer, each 2. Silchester roman city walls and amphitheatre, reading. Silchester was originally the centre of the iron age kingdom of the atrebates tribe from the late 1st century bc.
Oct 15, 2015 professor mike fulford discusses the transition of silchester from iron age to roman town, along with analysing many of the finds within the 18 years of the archaeological dig. About the silchester archaeology projects silchester. We are proud to support local publishers two rivers press. History of silchester roman city walls and amphitheatre english.
It is adjacent to the county boundary with berkshire and about 9 miles southwest of reading silchester is famed for the archaeological site and roman town of calleva atrebatum, which is hard by the village but undefiled by it. The town life project 19972014 silchester archaeology research. Recent aerial photography and geophysical survey had. The town life project 19972014 silchester archaeology. Silchester roman town united kingdom trip historic. Little is know about the history after this but an entry in the domesday book in 1086 records two manors in silchester as the town was now known.
Silchester roman city walls and amphitheatre english heritage. Silchester is the modern name of roman calleva atrebatum and the location of the university of readings field school, iron age environs project and nero at silchester excavations. Professor michael fulford explains what is involved in excavating a roman town. Facilitating access to the silchester town life project article in world archaeology 362 june 2004 with 10 reads how we measure reads. Proceedings of the twentyfourth annual theoretical roman archaeology. The main car park is just outside silchester on wall lane. Yesterdays open day at silchester, or calleva atrebatum to the romans, was a typically jolly event. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Established in 1997, the project was both a training field school and a research excavation located in a major roman civitas capital administrative centre, situated in the parish of silchester, in the county of hampshire england. The silchester environs project the town life project. How to get from silchester to reading by taxi, train, bus.
Calleva situated close to the village of modernday silchester was once the centre of the iron age kingdom of the atrebates, however after the conquest of ad43 the settlement developed into a major roman town called calleva atrebatum. The society of antiquaries had first excavated the site between 1890 and 1909 using local labour. Michael fulford, amanda clarke, emma durham, nicholas pankhurst. Built on the site of an iron age town, calleva, it may have been a planned settlement of people from northwest gaul france, centred around the town of arras and the tribe of the atrebates. Established in 1997, the project was both a training field school and a research excavation located in a major roman civitas capital administrative centre, situated in the parish of. Rib online is part of latinnow, a project that has received funding from the european research council erc under the european unions horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 715626. The late iron age oppidum of calleva underlies the roman town at silchester.
The earliest phase of occupation dating to the late iron age shows evidence of street planning, traces of circular and rectangular buildings, metalworking, including the working of precious metals and contacts within britain and on the continent to france, italy, spain and the mediterranean. Amanda explained the importance of the insula ix town life project, an excavation of a small part of the large roman town at silchester, which is situated between reading and basingstoke. The book is supplemented by ca 100 pages of appendices, with more data available digitally through archaeology data service. We have selected some of the best bars and nightclubs to book you into, so you dont have to waste time researching venues or even queuing on the night, just go to the front of the queue and give your name to get straight in for any of the venues with a door charge, this is included in the price. Calleva atrebatum calleva of the atrebates was originally an iron age settlement, capital of. Silchester roman town car park hampshire county council.
Whetstones from roman silchester calleva atrebatum, north hampshire. Our choice of insula ix was determined by a number of factors. University of reading, department of archaeology, reading, pp22. But where once there was a busy, populous centre, now there are. There are only 14 such tiles known in the uk including this one and one found in the 1920s at this site by the rev, carslake, plus the examples from the roman town at silchester. If you are planning a big night out in reading, then this vip nightlife pass is a great idea. Archaeologists identify a third roman temple in silchester. Archaeologists excavating near the village of silchester in hampshire have unearthed the remains of a roman temple, the third discovered to date in the town known in roman times as calleva atrebatum after the atrebates tribe who founded the town in the 1st century b. Up until now little has been known about the methodology by which the victorian and edwardian excavators achieved their goal, but the results of the silchester town life excavations 19972000 and continuing are beginning to provide some evidence. This book covers excavations 19972014 of a large area 0. The town life project at silchester roman town is a research project and field school run by the university of reading.
After the roman conquest in ad 43 it developed into the town of calleva atrebatum. Nero at silchester, the silchester environs project, and the postexcavation phase of the town life project. Oct 07, 2015 calleva atrebatum a roman town in silchester berkshire was founded in the first century ad. Pre roman silchester guardian article on discoveries in 201112 leading to reassessment of pre roman culture and history. After the roman conquest of ad 43 it became the large and important town of calleva atrebatum. The roman town at silchester, calleva atrebatum, was a working archaeological dig the university of reading field school which took place every summer until 2014. Silchester roman town is owned by hampshire county council and is managed by their countryside service. Jenny halsteads lively images bring the final summer of the to. It is accommodated within reading town hall, and contains galleries describing the history of reading and its related industries, a gallery of artefacts discovered during the excavations of calleva atrebatum silchester roman town, a copy of the bayeux tapestry, finds relating to. A brief guide to the town from the iron age to the present. The reason for this is that, over 20 years around the turn of the 19 th and 20 th centuries, early archaeologists gradually, block by block, uncovered the remains of all the buildings within the town walls. Jan 29, 2020 michael fulford, amanda clarke, emma durham, nicholas pankhurst, late iron age calleva.