Excavations at Ribchester 1978: Discoveries and Defenses in the Roman Fort | Lecture notes English Literature

LV Excavatlon at Rlbchester 1978

by J.H.S.'ffltherlngton

The casual vlsltor to Rlbehester may be glad be d,oes

not Ilve there, for the vllIage aeens pernanently tc resound.

to the rcar of J.C.B's, dunper trucks and, road' dr1L1s. A

naJor aewerage schene cut lts way through the village 1n

the suxreer ot 1975; the C of E prlnary schocl has had a

new extenslon; an aceess road ls replaclng the v1l1age t1p;

nanJr flne stone-bu1lt houses and cottages are belng restored

and, otb,er anenltles 1n the vll1age are being lnproved.

Much of thls work creates hectic rescue sltuatlons

for the archaeologist; Adnian Oltvler has reported hls work

fron 1976 (Contr,etigr-Vol lV, 26-7) and I have sulnnarlsed

the results-oF-tEe Access Road, and School excavations 1n

'1977 (Contrebls. vo1' v, l+2-5). The fi'nal connectlon of

the new eewerage syeten to houses to the south of ttre

vlllage was tlnetabled for the wlnten of 1977 but as the 1lne

of the pnopoeed trenches cnossed a eheduled, area of the

Ronaa for.t and lts defences, the Departnent of tbe Envlronment

together ',vlth the Unlverslty of Laneaster; flrnded. a reseue

excavatlon. Thls was camled out between March and May of

1978 and I an nost grateful to Mr. F. TaLbot, the landowner'

for hls heLpful eo-operatlon througbout the seven-week season.

?he excavatlon area was I1n1ted only to the wldth of

the plpe trench but thle l+Om. long sectlon alloweil us to

exanlne two of the barrack-blocks ln the S'g? corner of the

fglenturg, the nanpart, the fort wal1 and, the conplete dltch

gysten.

fhe tntertor

Slnce exeavatLon 1n 1970, 1t has been euggested that

the Trajanlc fort at Rlbchester was not a11gned. on the sa!!e

axl.s as lt was tn the Flavlan perlod. The 1978 excavatlons'

ccnflrned that there had lndeed, been a substantlaL re-arraange-

nent of the lnternal bulldlng at thls tlne, but that these

were at least Eg phases before this part of the font became

the :retentura. Traces renalned of tLnber tnenches whlch y/ere

little more than lnp:resslons 1n the ground and of three

paral1el rors of stake-holes. Other Erore eubstantlal

features, ti.nber tr.enches over 1n. d,eep, were discovered

but the narr.owneas of the excavatlon rendered lnterpretatlon

vlrtually lnposslble.

These bulldlngs were replaeed by two barrack-b1ocks,

one 8.5m. v1de, the othen 9n. w1d.e and separated by a sna1l

road. Both buildlngs underwent conslderable alteratlon

durtng the 2nd and Jrd Centuries anil were eventually conpletely

nebutlt ln tb.e flnal phase, posslble ln the early l+th Centur'yr

uslng stone-Backed, post-holes lnstead, of post-1n-f,rench

constructlon.

-10-

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LV Excavatlon at^ Rlbchester^1978 by J.H.S.'ffltherlngton The casual vlsltor to^ Rlbehester^ may^ be^ glad^ be^ d,oes not Ilve^ there,^ for^ the^ vllIage^ aeens^ pernanently^ tc^ resound. to the rcar of^ J.C.B's,^ dunper^ trucks^ and,^ road'^ dr1L1s.^ A naJor aewerage schene cut lts way^ through the^ village^ 1n the suxreer ot 1975;^ the^ C of^ E^ prlnary^ schocl^ has^ had^ a new extenslon; an^ aceess^ road^ ls^ replaclng^ the^ v1l1age^ t1p; nanJr flne stone-bu1lt^ houses^ and^ cottages are belng restored and, (^) otb,er anenltles 1n the vll1age are being lnproved. Much of thls work creates hectic rescue sltuatlons for (^) the archaeologist; Adnian Oltvler has reported hls^ work fron 1976 (Contr,etigr-Vol^ lV, 26-7)^ and^ I have^ sulnnarlsed the results-oF-tEe Access Road, and^ School^ excavations^ 1n '1977 (Contrebls.^ vo1'^ v,^ l+2-5).^ The^ fi'nal^ connectlon^ of the new eewerage syeten to^ houses^ to^ the^ south^ of^ ttre vlllage was tlnetabled for^ the^ wlnten^ of^1977 but^ as^ the^ 1lne of the^ pnopoeed^ trenches^ cnossed^ a^ eheduled,^ area^ of^ the Ronaa for.t^ and^ lts^ defences,^ the^ Departnent^ of^ tbe^ Envlronment together ',vlth^ the Unlverslty of Laneaster; flrnded.^ a^ reseue excavatlon. Thls was camled out between March and^ May^ of 1978 and I an nost grateful^ to^ Mr. F. TaLbot, the^ landowner' for hls^ heLpful eo-operatlon througbout^ the^ seven-week season. ?he excavatlon^ area^ was^ I1n1ted^ only^ to^ the^ wldth^ of the plpe^ trench but thle l+Om.^ long sectlon^ alloweil^ us^ to exanlne two of the barrack-blocks ln^ the S'g? corner of^ the fglenturg, the^ nanpart,^ the^ fort^ wal1^ and,^ the conplete^ dltch gysten. fhe tntertor Slnce exeavatLon 1n 1970, 1t has been euggested that the Trajanlc fort at (^) Rlbchester was not a11gned. on the sa!!e axl.s (^) as lt was tn the (^) Flavlan perlod.^ The 1978 excavatlons' ccnflrned that^ there had^ lndeed,^ been^ a^ substantlaL^ re-arraange- nent of the lnternal bulldlng at thls tlne, but that these were (^) at least (^) Eg phases before this part (^) of the font (^) became the :retentura. Traces renalned of tLnber tnenches whlch y/ere little more than lnp:resslons 1n the ground and of three paral1el (^) rors of stake-holes. Other (^) Erore eubstantlal features, ti.nber tr.enches over 1n. d,eep,^ were discovered but the narr.owneas of the excavatlon rendered lnterpretatlon vlrtually lnposslble. These bulldlngs were replaeed by two barrack-b1ocks, one 8.5m. v1de, the othen (^) 9n. w1d.e and separated^ by a sna1l road. Both buildlngs underwent (^) conslderable alteratlon durtng the (^) 2nd and (^) Jrd Centuries anil were eventually (^) conpletely nebutlt ln tb.e flnal phase,^ posslble^ ln the early l+th (^) Centur'yr uslng stone-Backed, post-holes lnstead, of post-1n-f,rench constructlon. -10-

The excavated^ rooms^ of^ both^ banacks,^ nostly^ wltb^ clay floors, alnost^ certalnly^ beLongeC^ to^ the^ centurlonfs^ quarters. Thls was^ evideni^ not cnly^ fron^ the^ poeltlon^ of^ the^ excavatlon 1n relatLon to the.l1nits of the^ fort^ but also^ fron^ the^ lack of a central (^) Bartl,tl.on 1n the westenn^ bl.ock^ and^ the^ presence of a corrldor in the east block.^ ?wo of^ the^ roona^ excavated each had a snaLL^ hearth of^ flr'ed clay^ and^ the^ high proportlon of mortaria found^ conflrns that^ we^ sere^ definltely^ reveallng the centurlonrs llvlng guarters^ rather^ tban^ thein^ adnlnletrative offlces. The Defences lfiarry snal1 sectlons^ have been^ cut^ acroos^ the^ defenees slnce the. late 19tn Century but^ the 1lne^ of^ the^ sewerage trer:ch allowed us a conplete sectlon^ at^ right-angl,es^ to^ tbe Ilne of the d^efences^ from ranpart^ to^ outer^ d.Ltch^ and,^ 1t^ pr^ oved to be very rervarding.^ The Flavian fort^ was^ defended,^ by^ a turf and elay ranBar.t^ restlng^ on^ a^ corduroy^ of^ oak^ slatst sone oven 1 .5ru. long and perfeetl,y^ preserved.^ Both^ 1n^ plan and i.n sectlon there^ sere^ lnillcatlons tbat^ the ranpart^ was not of^ a slngle^ constructlon and that^ eltber^ lt^ was^ ccnelder'- ably re-atrengthened^ at^ one^ tlne^ or^ $e^ have^ the^ reroalns^ of tvo forte. In frcnt of the ranpart were cut two Y-sbaped d,ltches, each cr 2m. wlde^ and oven 1m.^ d.eep. fn tlre earLy 2nd Centuryr probabS.y^ durlng the^ reJ.gn^ of ?naJan, the^ tlaber^ breastwork^ of^ the^ ranpart^ was^ replaced by a stone^ wall.^ Only the^ masslve^ foundatlons,^ c.^ 1.$m.^ wld.e of bcuiders^ set^ 1n rlver^ clay had^ su:rvlved,^ set^ lnto^ rihat had been the front of the ranpart. The footlngs and, facing etcnes for the wa}1 had all been robbed out. lfuch of the flon'f; ranpart nater"1al, lncluCtng the corduroy x'ag thrcr'Tl lnto the^ two^ dltches^ and^ another dltch^ wlth^ a pallsade^ was cr.rt further awayr These v/ene 1n tu:rn repl.aced by a slnllar arrangement learer tbe Line of the waLL l,ater ln the 2nd Centur;i. Two nore V-shaped d.ltches so:re 11n. frou the fort lrere also cut and, although they rnay irave been open 1rr conjunctlon wiih the nearer dltch-and-paIlsade, they certalnLy renalned tn use Langer, posslbly^ up to the end of the (^) JrC Century" Tha (^) 4'utr Century sars the cuttlng of yet^ another dltch, thls one through a road whlch (^) hacl long since gone^ out (^) of use. This was^ a flat-bottoned ditch and nearly (^) 5n. wlde at the top" The (^) contou:rs of the tfosse^ r,^ as (^) 1t has been calledn vlsible (^) on the ground, (^) tod,ay, are d,eceptlve for although (^) the ground (^) was Levelled off wlth ash and clirrker 1n the 192Ats the nadlr^ of^ the^ d1p I1es iiil'ectly^ above the lnner of the 5rd Century^ ditches^ and^ nct^ above^ a^ flat-bottoned^ or!€o One further d,1tch was dj"scovered and in a very unexpected, posltion, (^) Eone 25m. from ttre fort runnlng approxinately east-west. Its purpose^ 1s not clear; lf 1t was defenslve no features eitirer slde of 1t gave^ a clue to whlch sid.e i*, defeni,edi lt seeas vrrongly aligned and too cloEe to the fort fon (^) au, aruiexe. Thr:s it nay sinply narE 'fhe^ tenporary encLosur"e of an area duning (^) ccnstructlon yrork^ or fol housJ.ng perscnnel c? e quipmer't (^).

Excavations at Ribchester 1978: Discoveries and Defenses in the Roman Fort, Lecture notes of English Literature

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