This is the first of two volumes dealing with the major research excavations on the Chester Amphitheatre in 2004–2006. The amphitheatre was discovered in 1929 and partially excavated in the 1970s, after which the northern half was laid out as a public monument. Subsequent questions about the future of the site and the original interpretation prompted the recent work which was part funded by English Heritage and the (then) Chester City Council. The first amphitheatre was built in the 70s AD. It had a stone outer wall with external stairs and timber framed seating, the structure of which can be reconstructed. The second amphitheatre was built concentrically around the first, sealing deposits relating to the behaviour of spectators and the economy of spectacles in the first building. Amphitheatre 2, probably built in the later second century, was the largest and most impressive amphitheatre in Britain, featuring elaborate entrances, internal stairs and decorative pilasters on the outer wall. Although heavily robbed, sufficient survives to enable a confident architectural reconstruction to be proposed. Arena furniture hints at the type of spectacles that took place here. Beneath the seating banks of the amphitheatres evidence for prehistoric settlement was recovered – the first substantial prehistoric archaeology to be found in Chester. Occupation began with a Mesolithic phase, followed by a Middle Iron Age agricultural settlement and finally Late Iron Age cord-rig ploughing. This fully integrated volume tells the story of the site from the Mesolithic to the end of the life of the amphitheatre. It contains full stratigraphic and structural detail, including CGI reconstruction of Amphitheatre 2, artefactual and ecofactual evidence, and takes account of the findings of all excavations on the site since 1929. A second volume will deal with the robbing and reuse of the amphitheatre in the post Roman period, and the development of the medieval and post-medieval urban landscape of the site.
Author(s): Tony Wilmott, Dan Garner et al.
Series: Chester Archaeological Excavation and Survey Report 16
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Year: 2018
Language: English
Commentary: Language note: Text in English with a summary in French and German.
Pages: 496
City: Oxford; Philadelphia
Tags: Amphitheaters -- England -- Chester; Excavations (Archaeology) -- England -- Chester; Chester (England) -- Antiquities, Roman
Cover......Page 1
Book Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 6
List of figures......Page 12
List of tables......Page 17
Acknowledgments......Page 20
Summary......Page 22
Résumé......Page 24
Zusammenfassung......Page 26
PART 1: INTRODUCTION......Page 28
Military occupation before the fortress......Page 30
The construction of the fortress......Page 31
The second-century hiatus......Page 33
The fourth century and later......Page 34
The discovery of the amphitheatre......Page 36
Excavation and presentation 1952–72......Page 40
Dee House and development, 1992–2000......Page 46
Background......Page 48
Excavation......Page 49
Public access, popular publication and the amphitheatre conference......Page 51
Post-excavation assessment and analysis......Page 52
NATURAL GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND SOILS (Phase 0)......Page 56
Archaeological features......Page 57
Struck flint and stone......Page 58
By Dan Garner......Page 67
Middle Iron Age settlement (Phase 1b)......Page 71
By Ruth Pelling......Page 74
By David E Robinson and Zoë Hazell......Page 83
Phases 1b–2: Finds......Page 85
Discussion: Iron Age Chester and its wider context......Page 90
By Dan Garner
......Page 91
ROMAN OCCUPATION BEFORE THE AMPHITHEATRE (PERIOD 2: Phase 3)......Page 98
3.1 THE FIRST ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE(PERIOD 3)......Page 102
Area A......Page 104
Trench XII......Page 108
Trench 18......Page 110
Area A......Page 111
By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould, David Shotter,Margaret Ward and Tony Wilmott......Page 113
The timber-framed seating structure......Page 116
The outer wall and external stair......Page 117
Area B......Page 147
Previous work......Page 148
By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould, David Shotter,Margaret Ward and Tony Wilmott......Page 155
Area A......Page 156
South and west of the vomitorium......Page 157
North and east of the vomitorium......Page 161
Previous work......Page 166
By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould, David Shotter,Margaret Ward and Tony Wilmott
......Page 170
By Julian Baum and Tony Wilmott......Page 174
Outer wall and cavea......Page 179
The Nemeseum......Page 183
External activities......Page 185
Sand supply......Page 187
The outer wall......Page 189
The major entrances......Page 195
The vomitoria......Page 205
The Pilaster bases......Page 216
Architectural stonework......Page 219
By Gillian Dunn, Alison Heke, Quita Mould and TonyWilmott......Page 220
The arena......Page 221
AMPHITHEATRE 2: STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION AND DISCUSSION......Page 222
By Julian Baum and Tony Wilmott......Page 223
By Tony Wilmott and Julian Baum
......Page 225
By Tony Wilmott and Julian Baum......Page 231
The arena wall coping stone inscriptions......Page 234
Dating......Page 235
SYNTHESIS......Page 238
THE ROMAN COINS......Page 242
Methodology......Page 248
Summary of quantities and environmental condition......Page 249
Composition of the assemblage......Page 250
Vessel types and forms......Page 251
Evidence of wear, repair, re-working and re-use......Page 264
Chronology......Page 270
Phase summary and samian ware catalogue......Page 273
Post Roman phases containing residual samian ware......Page 284
Post Roman Phases 12–21 medieval, post medieval and modern......Page 293
Introduction......Page 304
Pottery fabrics......Page 306
Vessel forms......Page 309
Condition......Page 310
Roman pottery phase summaries and catalogue......Page 311
Post-Roman phases......Page 324
Discussion......Page 328
Colour......Page 330
Forms......Page 331
Polychrome vessels......Page 332
Catalogue......Page 335
Post-Roman Phases......Page 337
Introduction......Page 340
Military equipment......Page 341
Personal items and dress accessories......Page 351
Objects associated with written communication......Page 359
Tools......Page 360
Household equipment......Page 361
Structural ironwork......Page 363
Medical and toilet implements......Page 364
Buildings and services......Page 368
By Alison Heke......Page 370
Miscellaneous......Page 380
Addendum......Page 381
Ceramic building material (CBM)......Page 383
Cement Mix......Page 393
Earth mix (daub)......Page 397
Plaster......Page 399
Results......Page 404
Discussion......Page 405
Conclusions......Page 406
Mammals......Page 407
Birds......Page 436
Conclusions......Page 437
Methodology......Page 441
Description......Page 442
Discussion......Page 447
Conclusions......Page 456
Prehistory......Page 458
The advent of Rome and the first amphitheatre......Page 459
The second Roman amphitheatre......Page 460
Change of use and robbing (Phases 10–11)......Page 461
The use of the site in the Middle Ages (Phases 12–13)......Page 462
Conclusions......Page 463
APPENDIX 1: Quantification of archaeobotanical remains from Iron Age deposits......Page 464
APPENDIX 2: Samian stamps recorded from all excavations at Chester amphitheatre......Page 473
APPENDIX 3: A brief summary of Roman potteryfrom the 2000–03 excavations......Page 474
APPENDIX 4: Roman pottery fabric descriptions......Page 478
APPENDIX 5: Roman earth mix(daub) fabric descriptions......Page 485
APPENDIX 6: Quantification of archaeobotanical Remains in Romanand early post-Roman samples......Page 487
APPENDIX 7: Faunal remains:metrics by species......Page 492
Bibliography......Page 507
Index......Page 528
