Silchester

[Paul Belford]

A grid-planned pre-Roman Iron Age settlement...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/8151385.stm

[gonetopot]

Oh happy days, such memories of the summers I spent training there, seems a long time ago now (1998-2001).

Its a wonderful discovery, on confirmation, of what a significant town this was in LIA Britain, and I only hope it sheds further light on the degree of Romanisation adopted by the tribal centres before the Roman invasion, and to what extent these areas may have been client kingdoms etc before absolute Roman rule.

Silchester is one of the most worthy and amazing research digs that happens in the country, and while I was impressed while I was there I don't think I ever fully appreciated that! So massive respect must go to Amanda Clarke, Mike Fulford and the team that run the Insula IX project. I only hope when they finally botton out the stratigraphy, they are able to move onto another adjacent insula.

If you get the chance to visit this summer, you must visit. Amazing archaeological dig, great walks nearby including huge sections of extant Roman town wall and some lovely pubs nearby too.

[BAJR Host]

Got a good write up in the Guardian today as well.. PLUS a bit in the Comment Section



Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.
Mohandas Gandhi