Excavation in the Roman Legionary Fortress at Caerleon

Contents

Summary

Crynodeb

Résumé

Zusammenfassung

Chapter 1: Introduction and Background

From Caerleon to Isca

The Priory Field excavation summary

Post-excavation: assessment, conservation and analysis

Excavation archive

Final research questions

Chapter 2: Overview and Discussion of Key Themes

The fortress of Isca and the Second Augustan Legion at Caerleon

Site formation processes, phasing and chronology

Architecture of the Legionary Store Building

‘Post-Roman’ buildings and occupation

Themes in Roman archaeology

Chapter 3: History of the Legionary Store and Post-Roman Occupation in Priory Field

Introduction

PHASE 0: Pre-legionary store building

PHASE 1: Construction of the masonry store building

PHASE 2: Occupation and alteration of the store

PHASE 3: Dereliction and demolition of the store building

PHASE 4: Post-Roman masonry buildings

PHASE 5: Wall robbing

PHASE 6: Medieval and early-modern occupation

PHASE 7: Modern activity

Chapter 4: Finds Catalogues and Specialist Reports

Introduction and discussion

Registered Artefacts Reports and Catalogues

Soil Blocks lifted from Room 2

Building Fabric

Ceramics

Animal Bone (Murray Andrews)

Botanical Remains (Astrid E. Caseldine and Catherine J. Griffiths)

Summary of the Archaeometallurgical Residues (T.P. Young)

Chapter 5: Bibliography

Appendix: Radiocarbon dates from the Priory Field excavation

Radiocarbon dates obtained from Phase 0 contexts

Radiocarbon dates obtained from Phase 4 contexts

Appendix: Soil Blocks Lifted from above Phase 2 floor in Room 2

Appendix: Evaluation Excavations in Golledge’s Field and Priory Field, 2007

Evaluation Trench in Golledge’s Field (CGF07)

Test Pits in Priory Field (CPF07)

The Pottery from CGF07 and CPF07 (Peter Webster and Mark Lewis)

Other Finds from CGF07 and CPF07

Appendix: Summary of Community Engagement Activities, 2007-10

Community Engagement, 2007

Community Engagement, 2008 and 2010

Appendix: Excavation Teams 2007, 2008 and 2010

Evaluation excavations at Caerleon (Priory and Golledges Field) 2007

Excavations at Priory Field, Caerleon 2008

Excavations at Priory Field (and the Southern Canabae), Caerleon 2010

Appendix: Archaeometallurgical Residues (T.P. Young)

Introduction

Iron Smelting Residues

Iron Smithing Residues

Non-ferrous Metalworking Residues

Discussion

About the Author

Dr Peter Guest MCIfA FSA is an archaeologist and numismatist who has spent much of his career researching Roman Wales. He has previously worked for Cardiff University, the British Museum and the National Museum of Wales.

Prof. Andrew Gardner is Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at the UCL Institute of Archaeology.