Fosse Lane, Shepton Mallet 1990: Excavation of a Romano-British Roadside Settlement in Somerset

372 Pages·2001·34.574 MB·English

by  Peter Leach, C. Jane Evans

EXCAVATION OF A ROMANO-BRITISH ROADSIDE
SETTLEMENT IN SOMERSET
FOSSELX E
SHEPTON MALLET 1990
PETER LEACH
WITH C. JANE EV ANS
a
ENGLISH HERITAGE
BRITANNIA MONOGRAPH SERIES
No.18
Published by the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
2001

EXCAVATION OF A ROMANO-BRITISH
ROADSIDE SETTLEMENT
IN SOMERSET
FOSSE LANE
SHEPTON MALLET
1990

EXCAVATION OF A ROMANO-BRITISH
ROADSIDE SETTLEMENT
IN SOMERSET
FOSSE LANE
SHEPTON MALLET
1990
BY
Peter Leach
WITH
C. Jane Evans
and contributions by
Lynne Bevan, Simon Esmonde Cleary, Gordon Cook, Sally Cottam, Olwen Coventry,
Brenda Dickinson, lain Ferris, Kay Hartley, Colin Haselgrove, Martin Henig,
Catherine Johns, David Kendrick, Donald Mackreth, Stephen Minnitt, Graham Morgan,
Derek Moscrop, Stephanie Pinter-Bellows, Jennifer Price, Fiona Roe, Julie Smith,
David Starley, Vanessa Straker, Roger Tomlin, Jacqui Watson, and David Williams
and illustrations by Mark Breedon, Nigel Dodds and Liz Induni
Britannia Monograph Series
No.18
Published by the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU
2001
BRITANNIA MONOGRAPH SERIES NO. 18
Published by the Society for the Promotion ofRoman Studies
Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
This Monograph was published with the aid of a grant
from English Heritage
Copies may be obtained from the Secretary of the Roman Society
© Copyright Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies 2001
British Library Catalogue in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available at the British Library
ISBN 0 907764 27 4
Front cover: Silver pendant with punched monogram cross from grave F50 (G. Norrie)
Produced by Past Historic, Kings Stanley, Gloucestershire
Printed in Great Britain
CONTENTS
Page
List off igures vii
List ofp lates ix
List of tables ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Summary XV
1.0: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1: The site and its setting 1
1.2: Background and circumstances of excavation 3
1.3: Research objectives and procedure 4
1.4: Excavation and recording strategies 6
1.5: Post-excavation research 11
2.0: SITE NARRATIVE 13
2.1: Introduction 13
Appendix: Index of phased contexts and features 14
2.2: Area 1/Building I and Area 11 15
2.3: Area Ill- compound and cemetery 32
2.4: Area IV- compound, streets and cemetery 38
2.5: Area V- the southern compounds 46
2.6: Area VI- the northern compounds 50
2.7: Area/Building VII and environs 56
2.8: Area/Building VIII and environs 66
2.9: Areas/Buildings IX and X and environs 73
2.10: Summary and interpretation 85
3.0: THE FINDS 99
3.1: Introduction by ]an e Evans and Peter Leach 99
3.2: PREHISTORIC MATERIAL 100
The flint by Ly nne Bevan 100
The pottery by jane Evans 107
3.3: VESSELS 107
The Roman pottery by jane Evans, with contributions by
Brenda Dickinson, Kay Hartley, Roger Tomlin and David Williams 107
Glass vessels by ]ennifer Price and Sally Cottam 170
Metal vessels by julie Smith 177
Bucket mount by Derek Moscrop 177
Pot rivets and cramps by lain Ferris 177
Stone mortars by Fiona Roe 177
Shale bowl by julie Smith 178
3.4: PERSONAL OBJECTS 179
Brooches by Donald Mackreth 179
Glass and jet beads by jennifer Price, Sally Cottam and David Kendrick 200
Finger-rings and intaglio by julie Smith, Martin Henig,
]ennifer Price and Sally Cottam 204
V
vi FOSSE LANE, SHEPTON MALLET 1990
Bracelets by julie Smith 205
Pins by julie Smith and David Kendrick 205
Buckles, belt and strap fittings by julie Smith 206
Dress fasteners and pendant by David Kendrick 206
Hobnails by Olwen Coventry 208
Toilet instruments by julie Smith 208
Palettes by Fiona Roe 208
Gaming counters by ]ane Evans, David Kendrick,
]ennifer Price, Sally Cottam and Fiona Roe 209
3.5 THE COINS 210
Iron Age coin by Colin Haselgrove 210
Roman coins by Simon Esmonde Cleary 211
3.6 BUILDING MATERIALS, FIXTURES AND FlffiNGS 224
Stone building materials by Fiona Roe 224
Fired clay, brick and tile by Lynne Bevan 225
Mortar and plaster analysis by Graham M organ 226
Window glass by jennifer Price and Sally Cottam 230
Keys, latch and door fittings by Derek Moscrop and Martin Henig 230
Miscellaneous fittings by Derek Moscrop and julie Smith 231
Copper-alloy nails and studs by julie Smith 233
Nails by Olwen Coventry 233
3.7 DOMESTIC EQUIPMENT, TOOLS AND IMPLEMENTS 235
Querns and millstone by Fiona Roe 235
Whetstones by Fiona Roe 235
Weights by Fiona Roe and lain Ferris 237
Spindlewhorls by Fiona Roe andjane Evans 239
Styli by Derek Moscrop and julie Smith 239
Spoons by julie Smith and Roger Tom/in 240
Knives and cleavers by Derek Moscrop 242
Craft and industrial tools by Derek Moscrop 245
Agricultural equipment by Derek Moscrop 247
3.8 INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS 247
Bone and metalworking by lain Ferris 247
Inscribed lead ingot by Roger Tom/in 249
Slag and other metalworking debris by David Starley 249
3.9 FUNERARY AND RITUAL 253
Stone coffin by Fiona Roe 253
Lead coffins by Stephen Minnitt 255
Altar fragment by Fiona Roe 257
Ammonite by Fiona Roe 257
Silver pendant by Catherine johns 257
Votive objects by Martin Henig 260
3.10 HUMAN REMAINS 261
The human skeletons by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows 261
Radiocarbon dates by Cordon Cook and Peter Leach 287
3.11 ANIMAL REMAINS 289
Animal bone by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows 289
3.12 PLANT REMAINS 303
Charred plant macrofossils by Vanessa Straker 303
Organic material preserved on metalwork by jacqui Watson 307
4.0 DISCUSSION AND REVIEW by Peter Leach with jane Evans 308
BIBLIOGRAPHY 327
INDEX 343
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Fig. 1 Site location, south-west England xvi
Fig. 2 Fosse Lane and Shepton Mallet, the locality 2
Fig. 3 Fosse Lane, discoveries and investigations (to 1994)
(Index of sites: 1) Roman building destroyed 1887; 2) Brewery Lane evaluation 1987;
3) Fosse Lane excavations 1988 and 1990; 4) Mendip Business Park evaluations and
excavation 1990, 1992 and 1994; 5) Persimmon Homes evaluation and excavations 1990
and 1991; 6) Fosse Lane West evaluation 1990; 7) Wolff Construction evaluation 1991;
8) Bullimore Farm evaluation 1991; 9) Field Farm evaluation 1991; 10) Woodlands Farm
evaluation 1992; 11) Fosse Lane evaluation 1992; 12) Cannards Grave evaluation 1994 5
Fig. 4 Fosse Lane, excavation and development 1990 7
Fig. 5 Excavation site plan, principal zones and features 9
Fig. 6 Area/Building I and Area 11, plan of principal features 17
Fig. 7 Building I and environs, plan 18
Fig. 8 Building I, wall elevations 20
Fig. 9 Area 11, contexts and features plan 25
Fig. 10 Area Ill, plan of principal features 33
Fig. 11 Area Ill, plan of selected graves and features 37
Fig. 12 Area IV, plan of principal features 39
Fig. 13 Area IV, plan of Structures A and B and environs 42
Fig. 14 Area V, plan of principal features 47
Fig. 15 Area V, plan of selected boundary features 48
Fig. 16 Area VI, first-definition plan, structures- south-west corner 51
Fig. 17 Evaluation Trenches B-D, detail plan 54
Fig. 18 Areas/Buildings VII and VIII, plan of principal features 57
Fig. 19 Building VII, Phase i detail plan 58
Fig. 20 Building VII, Phases ii-iii detail plan 61
Fig. 21 Building VII, sections and wall elevations 63
Fig. 22 Building VIII, Phase i and environs plan 68
Fig. 23 Building VIII, Phase ii and later elements plan 72
Fig. 24 Areas/Buildings IX and X, plan of principal features 74
Fig. 25 Building X, Trench A detail plan 76
Fig. 26 Building IX, Trench A detail plan and sections 78
Fig. 27 Areas/Buildings IX and X, first-definition detail plan foldout facing p. 80
Fig. 28 Phase plans, Periods 1 and 2, and Period 3 87
Fig. 29 Phase plans, Period 4 and Period 5 92
Fig. 30 Building IX, a perspective reconstruction 93
Fig. 31 Worked flint, nos 1-13; scale 1:1 102
Fig. 32 Worked flint, nos 14-23; scale 1:1 104
Fig. 33a Roman pottery: occurrence of vessel classes by fabric (% rim EVE); excluding mortaria 111
Fig. 33b Roman mortaria: occurrence of vessel classes by fabric (% rim EVE); total rims extant 547 111
Fig. 34 Roman pottery: the grey wares; flagons, beakers and jars; scale 1:4 116
Fig. 35 Roman pottery: the grey wares; jars; scale 1:4 119
Fig. 36 Roman pottery: the grey wares; bowls and dishes; scale 1:4 121
Fig. 37 Roman pottery: the grey wares; dishes, platters, tankards, lids and miscellaneous forms;
scale 1:4 124
Fig. 38 Roman pottery: Severn Valley ware; scale 1:4 128
vii
viii FOSSE LANE, SHEPTON MALLET 1990
Fig. 39 Roman pottery: Shepton Mallet mortaria; scale 1:4 (stamps 1:1) 131
Fig. 40 Roman pottery: miscellaneous oxidised wares; scale 1:4 134
Fig. 41 Roman pottery: Black-burnished ware (BBl); scale 1:4 138
Fig. 42 Roman pottery: shelly and white wares; scale 1:4 141
Fig. 43 Roman pottery: traded and imported mortaria; scale 1:4 (stamps 1: 1) 142
Fig. 44 Roman pottery: decorated samian; scale 1:2; samian stamps; scale 1:1; sherds with graffiti;
scale 1:2 147
Fig. 45 Roman pottery: chronological patterns of ceramic deposition by fabric (% weight) 152
Fig. 46 Roman pottery: occurrence of vessel classes by period and period/key group
(%rim EVE) 153
Fig. 47 Roman pottery: sources, quantified relative proportions(% weight) 161
Fig. 48 Glass vessels, nos 1-15; metal vessels, nos 16-17; bucket mount, no. 18; pot rivets, nos
19-20; scale 1:1 176
Fig. 49 Stone mortars, nos 1-2; scale 1:1; shale bowl, no. 3; scale 1:2 178
Fig. 50 Brooches, site distribution plot (pre-A.D. 75 brooches boxed) 180
Fig. 51 Brooches, nos 1-7, 9-12, and 14-18; scale 1:1 184
Fig. 52 Brooches, nos 19, 22-7, 29-33, 37, 42-3; scale 1:1 188
Fig. 53 Brooches, nos 44-52, 54-6, 58, 62, 64-7; scale 1:1 192
Fig. 54 Brooches, nos 68-9, 74-7, 81-2, 85, 87, 89, 91-3; scale 1:1 196
Fig. 55 Beads of glass and jet, glass beads, nos 1-16; glass pendant, no. 17; jet bead, no. 18;
bone counter, no. 19; glass counters, nos 20-1; rings, copper-alloy, nos 22-5;
glass, nos 26-7; bracelets, nos 28-33; scale 1:1 203
Fig. 56 Pins of bone, jet and copper alloy, nos 1-9; buckle and strap mount, nos 10-11; bone
pendants, nos 12-13; implements, nos 14-22; scale 1:1 207
Fig. 57 Coins: all groups; deviation from British mean 222
Fig. 58 Coins: sites with similar deviation from British mean to Shepton Mallet
(Reece 1995, fig. 21) 223
Fig. 59 Coins: sites with similar deviation from British mean to Shepton Mallet
(Reece 1995, fig. 22) 223
Fig. 60 Coins: sites with similar deviation from British mean to Shepton Mallet
(Reece 1995, fig. 20) 224
Fig. 61 Mortar samples; groups 1 and 2 particle size distribution curves 228
Fig. 62 Mortar samples; groups 3 and 4 particle size distribution curves 229
Fig. 63 Palettes, nos 1-2; scale 1:2; iron keys and latch lifters, nos 3-7; scale 1:1 232
Fig. 64 Keys, nos 1-3; lead caulking, no. 4; copper-alloy mounts nos 5-6, scale 1:1;
stone roof tiles, nos 7-8, scale 1:8 234
Fig. 65 Millstone and quem, nos 1-2; scale 1:4 236
Fig. 66 Whetstone, no. 1; weights, nos 2-4; spindlewhorl, no. 5; scale 1:2; styli, nos 6-15;
scale 1:1 238
Fig. 67 Spoons, nos 1-7; scale 1:1 241
Fig. 68 Cleavers, nos 1-2; scale 1:2 243
Fig. 69 Knives, nos 1-7; scale 1:1 244
Fig. 70 Knives, nos 1-3; tools, nos 4-8; scale 1:1 246
Fig. 71 Tools, nos 1-8; agricultural implements, nos 9-10; scale 1:1 248
Fig. 72 Stone and lead coffins, nos 1-4; scale 1:20 254
Fig. 73 Lead ingot, no. 1; silver amulet, no. 2; votive objects, nos 3-4; scale 1:1;
lead coffin, no. 5; scale as shown 258
Fig. 74 Representation of skeletal elements 264
Fig. 75 Distribution of stature for males and females 268
Fig. 76 Probability distributions of radiocarbon dates 287
Fig. 77 Importance of main meat animals for combined Roman periods 292
Fig. 78 Distribution of skeletal elements for main meat animals for combined Roman periods 294
Fig. 79 Epiphysial fusion and tooth ageing data for combined Roman periods 296
Fig. 80 Plot of the distal breadth (Bd) against the distal fusion point breadth (BFd) for cattle
metacarpi 300
Fig. 81 The Fosse Lane hinterland and principal archaeological sites 314