Chester Amphitheatre Project Blog

Thoughts from Grosvenor Park ...

2007-10-30T11:34:00.000Z

Dear Bloggers,

As promised, the thoughts and ideas generated from this years excavation in the Grosvenor Park, Chester, are now available to download as a PDF (Portable Document Format). All you have to do is:

Go to the home page of the Chester Amphitheatre Project web site where you will see in 'Latest News' a link to the 'Grosvenor Park Website'. Click on this link and then click on 'About the Park', scroll down a little then click on 'Archaeology' then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see a link to the 'Archaeological Report for Grosvenor Park'.

Happy reading.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Roman Bronze Spoon

2007-07-23T11:17:00.001+01:00

Another interesting find is part of a bronze spoon, a type that was used in the later Roman period. It has a coating of tin or a tin alloy, possibly to give the appearance of solid silver! Only a small part of the handle survives, which is joined to the bowl with a downward curving arm set at an angle to it, and this continues on to the back of the bowl of the spoon. The bowl itself is 64 mm in length. Although found with the spoon, we are not sure if the two separate pieces of bronze are part of it.

Trench II

Chester Amphitheatre: National Archaeology Week 2007 ...

2007-07-18T12:19:00.000+01:00

July saw the return of gladiators and soldiers to Chester's Roman Amphitheatre. As part of National Archaeology Week Chester City Council's Archaeological Service hosted a fun packed event with a variety of entertaining and educational attractions.

The stars of the day were the Deva Victrix Leg XX v.v re-enactment group who entertained the crowds with bouts of fierce gladiatorial combat and displays of military prowess ...

and this year, for the first time, the Roman Army brought their Egyptian dancing girls!

copyright: P.A. Winker

There was the opportunity to see some of the fascinating finds from not only the Amphitheatre but also from this seasons excavation in the Grosvenor Park!

Try your hand at uncovering the past with the 'Jigsaw Dig' ...

Watch a fascinating flint knapping demonstration ...

and have your own artefacts identified by the Portable Antiquities Officer, seen here with Christine Russell, MP for Chester.

More images from National Archaeology Day will be online soon, so do watch this space.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Roman Ceramic Figurine

2007-07-11T10:21:00.000+01:00

Part of a ceramic figurine. Unfortunately, all that we have is the hollow-domed plinth and a pair of feet! Despite this we can identify it as being from a figurine of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. A garment or piece of drapery, which is held in her left hand, can be seen close to the left leg.

This type of figurine, made from white clay, was produced in Central Gaul and Cologne in the first and second centuries AD. They were presented to the gods at temples and household shrines and sometimes placed in graves.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: A Roman brooch ...

2007-07-02T15:04:00.001+01:00

A Roman brooch in particularly good condition. It is a type that was made in Britain from the late first century to the middle of the second century, but rarely found in northern Britain. It would have been decorated with two strips of enamel (glass which is fused to the metal), and a small amount of orange enamel is still visible. Unfortunately the pin used to fasten the brooch is missing; so too is part of the chain loop, suggesting that this brooch was one of a pair, linked by a chain.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: A 16th-century Book Clasp

2007-06-29T11:14:00.000+01:00

Part of a copper-alloy book clasp with engraved ring and dot decoration; probably 16th century. The clasp would have been used to decorate and also secure a leather bound book. It may have come from a church building but a wealthy household such as that of the Cholmondeley's would also have had books.

Trench I

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: 16th-17th-century Glass & Cames

2007-06-29T11:11:00.000+01:00

The remains of a 16th or early 17th century window. Small diamond shaped panes of clear glass are held together by a network of lead strips known as cames to create a large window.

Trench I

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Decorated Plaster

2007-06-29T11:07:00.000+01:00

This piece of plaster decorated with a butterfly is one of several pieces of decorated plaster work found in Trench I. The other pieces show the remains of a strapwork design and are probably from a decorated plaster ceiling dating to the first half of the 17th century or possibly the late 16th century. The pieces are all in very good condition; it is rare to find plaster in such condition on an archaeological excavation. The pieces give us some clue as to how the interior of Cholmondeley's earlier house was decorated.

Trench I

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: A Medieval Floor Tile

2007-06-29T11:05:00.000+01:00

Part of a medieval floor tile with a line impressed design showing a griffin. The edge of a wing is just visible on the broken edge of the piece. It was made in the 14th or 15th century. It may have been used in St John's church or a building belonging to the church.

Trench I

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: A 17th century Salt-glazed Stoneware Jug

2007-06-29T11:01:00.000+01:00

Fragment from a 17th century salt-glazed stoneware jug with a floral medallion on the front. This sort of jug often has a bearded face on the neck and was made in Frechen in the Rhineland area of modern Germany. They were exported in large numbers to Britain and the rest of Europe.

Trench I

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: A Roman Miniature Axe

2007-06-27T12:37:00.000+01:00

This model axe is a miniature reproduction of a common, everyday object, which served no useful function of its own. Model objects are well-known in Roman Britain and miniature axes first appear in the Iron Age. It may have been a simple good-luck symbol, as miniature axes were also worn as amulets. However, because of its weight, this particular example is unlikely to have been used in this way and may originally have been placed in a grave or a shrine as a votive offering.

The axe is quite crudely made, being roughly wedge-shaped with a narrow, rounded cutting edge. A socket for attachment extends through the head.

Tr III (38), SF 209

Chester Amphitheatre: National Archaeology Days 2007 ...

2007-06-26T15:16:00.000+01:00

National Archaeology Days 2007
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 July
10:30am-4:00pm
Chester Amphitheatre & Chester Visitor Centre

Help celebrate National Archaeology Days at the
Amphitheatre which will be brought to life by:

Spectacular gladiatorial combat
Roman military display
Talk to the archaeologists about their latest discoveries
Take part in the hands-on activities
Have your own finds identified

FREE ...

For further details ...
j.hebblewhite@chester.gov.uk

Grosvenor Park: The Latest Thoughts from Trench III ...

2007-06-25T12:33:00.000+01:00

We have now excavated sections across both of the ditches uncovered in Trench III. The ditches are both aligned north-south and the most easterly ditch is definitely Roman in date (probably dating to the 2nd century AD). We think this ditch was found further to the north more than 100 hundred years ago when the public baths were built in 1899. The western ditch is more complicated as it appears to have been partly re-excavated in the medieval period and a stone pavement was set into the bottom at this time; possibly so that it could function as a track way?

Beneath the stone pavement are preserved the lower fills of the earlier ditch which we now believe to be Roman; we are still excavating this ditch to see how large it was. It would appear that the westerly ditch is the same one which contained the skeleton of a Roman woman that was uncovered to the north in 1994!

Grosvenor Park: The Latest Thoughts from Trench II ...

2007-06-25T12:30:00.000+01:00

We have recently discovered a large circular pit towards the centre of trench. The original function of the pit is still unknown, though it may have served as a cess-pit. It is more than 1.2m deep and was clearly backfilled with domestic rubbish once it had gone out of use; amongst this material is pottery dating to the 15th or 16th century, which suggests that the pit is contemporary with the large timber building we have found traces of in the northern part of the trench.

An area of cobbling has been partly uncovered in the south western part of the trench. It is too early to be certain but this may be part of a Roman road running across the trench from west to east; the central portion has been removed by the large pit described above and we will have to uncover more of the suspected road on the eastern side of the trench before we can be certain of our interpretation.

Grosvenor Park: The Latest Thoughts from Trench I ...

2007-06-25T12:26:00.000+01:00

We have now confirmed that the northern half of the trench contains a large cellar, which has been backfilled with a mixture of domestic and industrial waste dating to the end of the 17th century. The backfill is also made up of a range of building materials which are probably from the building that must once have stood above the cellar. This building material has included glazed medieval floor tiles and fragments of decorated wall plaster that together indicate a building of some importance.

Decorated wall plaster (butterfly)
and
Fragments of window glass and lead cames

The evidence would suggest that the cellar belongs to an earlier incarnation of Cholmondeley's House, and probably the one which was believed to have been destroyed during the English Civil War (1642-46) and so predates the building shown on McGahey's balloon view of 1852.

We are now in the process of excavating the southern half of the trench in order to locate traces of any earlier medieval buildings that may have occupied the area.

Grosvenor Park: The Latest Thoughts from Trench III:

2007-06-14T12:42:00.000+01:00

This trench was positioned to pick up the line of a large Roman ditch found when the nearby housing development was constructed in the 1990's. This ditch, of unknown function, contained the skeleton of a middle-aged woman. Carbon 14 dating confirmed that she died in the Roman period.

We have recently found another Roman ditch on a different alignment. It is about 3 metres wide. We have also found another ditch which may be Medieval. We don't yet understand the purpose of these features, but they may represent a long-standing boundary within the eastern suburb of the Roman and Medieval town.

In this trench we found:

A 17th century lead cloth seal. These seals often have marks that identify where the cloth was made but this example is badly worn and no mark can be seen. The initials ' NG' have not be been identified so far. The seals were attached to bales of cloth and were a form of quality control.

The lead cap for a gun powder holder. Each holder would have held enough powder for a single shot. The holders were attached to a bandolier worn across the soldier's chest.

A beer bottle marked 'Quellyn Roberts & Co Ltd Chester ' on the front and 'West Kirby' on the back. Until recently Quellyn Roberts was a well known Chester wine merchants but in the early 20th century they also sold beers and cider as well as wine and fine champagnes and had shops in West Kirby on the Wirral and Wilmslow.

Grosvenor Park: The Latest Thoughts from Trench II:

2007-06-14T12:34:00.000+01:00

This trench has produced interesting archaeology of several periods. Two 18th-19th century field drains run north-south across the site. These were commonly used to improve poorly drained land. One is lined with clay pipes, whilst the other has bricks along the base.

In the upper soils we found numerous musket and pistol balls which we think came from a skirmish between Protestants and Catholics in the grounds of Cholmondeley's mansion in 1641 - a year before the outbreak of the Civil War. Numerous Catholics were killed in the firefight and buried some-where nearby.

Running west-east across the centre of the site is the foundation trench for a large late Medieval timber building. We didn't expect to find Medieval buildings of this scale in this location. It may have been a barn or some other form of storage building. Towards the back of the site we found a spread of rubble which may be Roman; perhaps a yard surface or the remains of a demolished building. We anticipate several other Roman features await discovery in this area.

In this trench we also found:

A tin-glazed ware tile made in Seville, Spain in the first half of the 16th century. Tiles such as this are very rare in Chester; they may have been used in small decorative panels.

A lead weight decorated on each side and with a hanging loop at one end. It may have been used as a plumb bob or some other hanging weight or counter weight.

Grosvenor Park: The Latest Thoughts from Trench I ...

2007-06-12T17:03:00.000+01:00

Trench I has been sited to see if we can find the remains of Cholmondley's mansion, an 18th century town house which we think was originally associated with the church of St John.

So far we have concentrated our work in the northern part of the trench. Here we have uncovered several stone blocks and foundations which we think belonged to the mansion. There is also a deep pit in this area. It contained a lot of interesting finds, probably thrown away in the mid-18th century when the mansion suffered a fire and had to be rebuilt. Beneath it there may be a Medieval cellar.

In this trench we also found the jetton and the Cologne stoneware mug ...

see earlier postings for details.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Beer Bottle

2007-06-12T14:37:00.000+01:00

A beer bottle marked ‘Quellyn Roberts & Co Ltd Chester‘ on the front and ‘West Kirby’ on the back. Until recently Quellyn Roberts were a well known Chester company of wine merchants but in the early 20th century they also sold beers and cider and had shops in West Kirby on the Wirral and Wilmslow.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Decorated Lead Weight

2007-06-11T14:24:00.000+01:00

A lead weight decorated on each side and with a hanging loop at one end. It may have been used as a plumb bob or some other hanging weight or counter weight. The date is uncertain.

Special Visit: Whitehall Farm Roman Villa Project ...

2007-06-06T11:18:00.000+01:00

Twenty members of the The Whitehall Farm Roman Villa Project, came on a special visit to Chester for a guided tour of the amphitheatre and Grosvenor Park excavations.

http://www.whitehallvilla.co.uk/

They can be seen here examining some of the recent finds, which were explained to them by Gill Dunn, Chester Archaeology's Roman finds specialist.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: A Tile from Seville ...

2007-06-05T15:37:00.000+01:00

A tin-glazed ware tile made in Seville, Spain in the first half of the 16th century. Tiles such as this are very rare in Chester, they may have been used in small decorative panels.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Long Cross Penny ...

2007-06-05T15:36:00.001+01:00

A silver long cross penny of King Edward I who reigned 1272 - 1307. The coin is quite worn and the edge appears to have been clipped.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Lead Shot ...

2007-06-04T12:38:00.000+01:00

A selection of the many pieces of lead shot that have been found so far, particularly in Trench II. The size of the shot depends on the type of gun for which it was made. Such shot is often associated with the Civil War in the mid-17th century but firearms wre being used before this time. The area around St John's Church is known to have seen a lot of activity during the Civl War so these pieces may well date to that time.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Cloth Seal ...

2007-06-04T12:37:00.000+01:00

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Jetton

2007-06-04T12:36:00.000+01:00

A copper alloy jetton made in Nuremburg in the late 16th or early 17th century. The maker's name, Hans Krauwinckel can clearly be seen. Jettons were used as counters for making up financial accounts.

MAD YAC spotted at Grosvenor Park ...

2007-06-01T11:41:00.000+01:00

Members of MAD YAC (Merseyside & Dee Young Archaeologists Club) braved the elements to join Chester Archaeology and Chester University students at the Grosvenor Park excavation. Daniel and Robyn are pictured here examining one of their finds.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Cologne stoneware mug

2007-06-01T10:17:00.000+01:00

Part of a stoneware mug made in Cologne in the Rhineland c.1500 - 1550. Large quantities of stoneware were made in the Rhineland for export to Britain and elsewhere but these types of mugs are not very common in Chester.

Grosvenor Park: Latest Discovery: Roman Brooch

2007-05-29T17:01:00.000+01:00

A Roman brooch in the shape of a sandal or shoe sole, decorated with blue enamel. Originally there was a loop at the 'heel' end of the brooch to which a fine chain was attached so that two brooches could be worn, linked together. The pointed toe may reflect a short-term fashion in footwear. Second century.

Grosvenor Park: The latest news from Trench II ...

2007-05-21T14:03:00.000+01:00

Trench II in the Grosvenor Park, Chester, has already produced over thirty musket balls and we think that this can be tied into the following event recorded in 1641 - a year before the outbreak of the Civil War.

Photograph: Civil-War musket balls that were recoverd from Trench B at the Chester Amphitheatre excavation in 2006

'A bloody conspiracy of the Papists in Cheshire, intended for the destruction of the whole County.'

There was an order made by Parliament, that all Papists throughout England should be disarmed. The mayor of Chester ordered the 'Trained Bands' (the local militia) that those Papists who would not agree to this order should have their houses searched, and that if resistance was met "to shoot down their house about their ears"; which was to be done the very next day (20th November 1641). The Papists, hearing of this, gathered at Lord Cholmondeley's Mansion and in the night time 15 of them "in arms" set about "battering down the city walls". This made a "very great noise" which drew the attention of the City Watch who were "very much amazed". However, as the watch were mostly made up of old men, they retreated to the City gate and cried out "Treason, Treason, against the City". The Trained Bands were roused and chased 13 of the traitors to Lord Cholmondeley's House, where they were captured having been denied entrance by the Porter of the gate-house.

Having been denied entrance to Cholmondeley's House 10 of the Trained Band fired their muskets and battered down part of the house, which caused Lord Cholmondeley to make an escape via a back-door across the fields (now Grosvenor Park). The Trained Band then came upon 50 Papists with "muskets at the ready" , and as soon as the Papists saw the Band they fired killing 25, before retreating through a back door; where they ran in to the rest of the Band, and a "bloody skirmish ensued". Eventually the Papists "trusted to the swiftness of their feet" (they decided to make a run for it) but "the bullets made great haste after them" and 19 were killed, including their leader a Mr Henry Starkey. They were subsequently "buried in the highway together".

Grosvenor Park Dig 2007

2007-05-21T10:33:00.000+01:00

Chester Archaeology Service will be digging in Grosvenor Park, Chester, between the 14th May and the 6th July 2007.

Several trenches will be dug on the western side of the park in order to answer a number of questions. The main aim is to locate the remains of a large town-house known as Cholmondeley's Mansion which was demolished when the park was laid out in 1867. It is thought that the house sat on the site of earlier medieval buildings attached to the church of St. John.

Cholmondeley's Mansion with St. John's Church to the rear. John McGahey, 1852

We also want to find out what was there in Roman times. A specific target will be a large ditch which was found during the building of the Union Street swimming baths in 1899, and again more recently in 1994. The more recent work also uncovered a complete adult human skeleton buried in the top of the ditch and we will be studying these remains to discover the date, age and sex of the person over the coming weeks.

As well as tackling these questions, the dig is being used as a training project for archaeology students at Chester University, and will also be open to volunteers.

The work supports both a Conservation Management Plan for the park and an application by Chester City Council under the Heritage Lottery Fund 'Parks for People' programme, due to be submitted in March 2008.

Chester Amphitheatre Project 2007 ...

2007-05-18T14:20:00.000+01:00

Chester Amphitheatre Project is an important part of Chester Renaissance - the plan to establish Chester as a must-see European city.

At its hub is the 2000 year old Roman Amphitheatre; the current focus of a major archaeological investigation by Chester City Council and English Heritage. So far this has involved three successful years of excavation (2004-2006) and a landscape assessment exploring links between the Amphitheatre and other parts of the Amphitheatre Park, including St John's Church, the riverside and city walls.

Although no Amphitheatre excavations are happening at present there is much activity taking place behind the scenes. Archaeologists are busily occupied in detailed post- excavation work; examining the many exciting finds and artefacts from the last few years. You can see some of these at the Chester Visitor Centre (Vicar's Lane, Chester) or at the Grosvenor Museum (27, Grosvenor Street, Chester.)

The results of the archaeological investigations were the subject of major public consultations in 2006 to help shape plans for protecting and interpreting the long term future of the Amphitheatre. The City Council and English Heritage are working closely to develop a viable and sensitive scheme that not only tells the Amphitheatre's unique story but preserves its legacy for generations to come.

In the meantime you can see archaeologists at work in Grosvenor Park and enjoy a series of events in the Amphitheatre:

Living History Events 2007

The DEVA VICTRIX Roman Military Display Team

Experience the Roman heritage of Chester and Britain during the first century AD as a unit of Roman legionnaires march through Chester and camp at the amphitheatre. You will discover soldiers, civilians and even gladiators, brought to you by Roman Tours Ltd.

www.romantours.co.uk

Venue: City Centre & Chester Amphitheatre
June 10 & 30
July 1, 14, 15, & 21
August 19
September 9
10:00am - 4:00pm (except September 11:00 - 4:00)
Free

National Archaeology Days 2007:
Come and celebrate National Archaeology Week at the amphitheatre which will be brought to life by some spectacular Roman gladiatorial combat and military display. There will be an opportunity to talk to the archaeologists about discoveries at the amphitheatre, have your finds identified and take part in a number of hands-on activities.

July 14 & 15
10:30 - 4:00pm
Free

The Chester Conference: Roman Amphitheatres & Spectacula ... A 21st Century Perspective

2006-11-07T11:32:00.000Z

What: Conference: Roman Amphitheatres & Spectacula ... A 21st Century Perspective
When: Friday 16th February to Sunday 18th February 2007
Where: Grosvenor Museum, Chester

You will now find a dedicated website at: www.emmm.co.uk/amphitheatre

For all futher enquiries you can contact either Eleanor or Lisa at:
The Amphitheatre Conference Office
EMMM Ltd.,
Southdene House,
16 Booths Hill Road,
Lymm.
Cheshire WA. 13 0DL

Email: lisa@emmm.co.uk or amphihteatre@emmm.co.uk
Tel: 01925 752078
Fax: 01925 758255

So that's what they look like ... :o)

2006-10-04T16:54:00.000+01:00

.............

We thought that you might like to see the 2006 site photograph of the Core Team ably assisted by (some) of our stalwart volunteers.

1. Dan Co-Director 2. Rob Site Assistant 3. Jason Site Assistant 4. Dave Site Assistant 5. Jane Chester City Council 6. Gill Chester City Council 7. Ian Chester City Council 8. Ken Site Supervisor 9. Fiona Volunteer 10. Alex Volunteer 11. Claire Environmental Assistant 12. Charlotte Volunteer 13. Julie Chester City Council 14. Alison Chester City Council 15. Mike City Archaeologist, Chester City Council 16. Liz Volunteer 17. Peter Carrington Chester City Council 18. George Site Assistant 19. Gary Volunteer 20 Andy Site Assistant

THE Amphitheatre Conference 2007: speakers confirmed

2006-10-04T15:09:00.000+01:00

Public Lecture: Friday 16th February 2007

Prof. Kathleen Coleman, Harvard College Professor and Professor of Latin, Harvard University: Arena of Conflict: Facts, Myths, and Speculation About Gladiatorial Combat in Ancient Rome

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conference: Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th February 2007

A total of 18 papers will cover many aspects of amphitheatre studies and the whole Roman Empire.

Confirmed speakers include:

Dan Garner Chester City Council, Co-Director Chester Amphitheatre Project &
Tony Wilmott English Heritage, Co-Director Chester Amphitheatre Project:
The Chester Amphitheatre Excavations 2004-2006

Prof. Michael Fulford University of Reading:
The Silchester Amphitheatre

R. Duran, A. Morillo Cerdan Universidad de León:
Recent Work on Spanish Amphitheatres

T. Hufschmid Bauhütte Römisches Theater von Augst:
Theatre and Amphitheatre in Augst

T. Jones McMaster University, Canada:
Seating, Spectacle, and the Social Hierarchy in the Roman Empire

R. Lafer Universität Klagenfurt, Austria:
What Can the Inscriptions Tell Us About Spectacles? ...
The Example of Africa Proconsularis

C.Sebastian Sommer Bayerisches Lansdesamt für Denkmalpflege:
Amphitheatres of Auxiliary Forts on the Frontiers

S Jilek Österreichisches Akademie der Wissenschaften:
The Amphitheatres of Carnuntum

D. Bomgardner Elstree School:
A Day in the Life of Chester Amphitheatre

Prof M. Beard University of Campbridge:
Title to be confirmed

F. Kanz Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut and
K. Grosschmidt Medizinische Universität, Wien:
Epheseus Gladiator’s Cemetery ...

So do watch this space for more details ...

and now the end is near ...

2006-09-01T12:39:00.000+01:00

Today marks the end of the third and final successive season of excavation at the amphitheatre. In comparison to the previous two summers the archaeology has been very subtle and has involved a lot of painstaking work by both our professional staff and the multitude of students and volunteers we have had helping out along the way. Thanks to everyone for all their hard work through one of the hottest (and driest) summers on record - I think the results speak for themselves!

I think a brief mention should also be given to all the budding cake makers that surpassed themselves this year! Particularly, Jess for the best dressed cake, Fiona for the most ingenious cake, Alex and Julie for lashings of chocolate cakes, David V for the 'starter for 10' cake (that got the whole baking thing going) and Dave M for the beginners luck cake that stole the show!

Lets see where the amphitheatre goes from here ...

Dan Garner, Site Director

Exploring the Amphitheatre ...

2006-08-24T16:45:00.000+01:00

Members of Chester City Council's Explorers' Club had a great time working alongside professional archaeologists where they learnt the basic principles of trowelling, planning and surveying. And when the rain fell for a brief time they had an opportunity to look at and handle some of the finds from the past couple of seasons and learn about the environmental work that is carried out on site. Their interest and enthusiasm showed us that there are definitely some budding future archaeologists amongst them.

Rebecca and Kayleigh being shown how to plan by Mike, the City Archaeologist;
Gill showing Rebecca and Elisha the correct way to trowel;
Kayleigh, Rebecca and Lewis cleaning the old ground surface in Area A

Julie showing George how to use a site level;
Lewis checks out a possible find in Area A;
Luke and Tim trowelling part of the old ground surface with David assisting

Jane supervising George and Alexander trowelling;
Mike explaining the principles of planning to Rebecca, Elisha and Kay;
George and Alexander are first on the scene with Jane and Julie at the discovery
of a piece of possible Iron-Age metal work by Dan, Site Director

Where are the cord-riggs and what do they look like?

2006-08-24T12:22:00.000+01:00

The latest comment on the BLOG was as follows ...

Q: "Any chance of a picture of the Chester cord-rigg? I looked at where I thought they might be on a recent visit, but couldn't see anything ..."

A: I hope these images are of help. I have identified the location of the cord-riggs on the aerial shot and highlighted their profile on the general site shot.

Also ...

Q: "How far apart are the ridges?"

A: Cord-riggs usually comprise of a series of narrow ridges less than a metre apart, formed as the result of cultivation and it is generally considered to date to the late pre-Roman Iron Age.

Travel through time at Chester Amphitheatre ...

2006-08-17T11:33:00.000+01:00

From prehistory to the present day
23 August 11:00am - 4:30pm

You will get the opportunity to see the excavation and environmental analysis in progress, talk to the archaeologists & join a guided tour. There will also be the chance to see the finds from the last three seasons of excavation.

The Amphitheatre itself will once again be brought to life by a Roman encampment. There will also be Roman cookery, Roman surveying and flint knapping demonstrations ...

Free admission
Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Vicar's Lane
Chester
Cheshire
For further information:
T: 01244 402009
E: j.hebblewhite@chester.gov.uk

Recent Find: Iron Age pottery: Cheshire VCP

2006-08-15T13:49:00.000+01:00

Iron Age pottery has been recovered from the pre-Roman cultivation soils beneath the earliest phase of the Roman amphitheatre in the area between the concentric wall and the arena wall. It is part of the rim of a salt container. This late prehistoric pottery is a type found in the north west of England and known as Cheshire VCP which is an abbreviation for Very Coarse Pottery. It has also been found in North Wales and the northern and central Welsh Marches area and dates from approximately 500 BC to the middle of the first century AD.

Salt production has been a way of life in Cheshire since the Iron Age and these vessels served as crude containers for the final drying and transportation of salt from brine spring sources to settlements in the area. The distribution of salt suggests an extensive exchange network in the second half of the first millennium BC across North Wales, north west England and northern Midlands.

The salt was used for preservation such as salting meat, for making cheese and preserving hides. The pots are handmade, generally orange in colour and fired at a low temperature. They are described as ‘coarse’ because within the clay there are pieces of quartz and rock. Unfortunately we don’t know exactly where the vessels were made but scientific analysis of the clays suggest they were manufactured in the Nantwich – Middlewich area.

The small bases and flaring conical rims make them suitable as evaporation containers for drying out the salt. There are no soot or food deposits found on them as would be expected on cooking pots and jars – a shape suited to reducing evaporation during cooking and usually grey, black or brown in colour.

Although we have several fragments of this type of pottery from excavations in Cheshire and Merseyside, this is a significant find in Chester.

The Latest News from the Trench ...

2006-08-10T14:35:00.000+01:00

Over the last couple of days we have finally removed the remains of the seating bank deposits to amphitheatre 1A, and have now exposed the pre-Roman ground surface over nearly the entire excavation trench. This has allowed us to see what sort of evidence has survived on the site from the period immediately before the Romans began to build the first amphitheatre at Chester. The find of the footprints in the south-western corner of the excavation has already been mentioned, and very close to these were a line of timber post-settings which might indicate a fence line associated with a stock enclosure.

However, at the northern end of the trench we have now uncovered a series of narrow, parallel ridges that clearly pre-date the outer wall of the first amphitheatre. This type of earthwork is known as ‘cord rigg’ and has been identified on upland areas like the Cheviots of Northumberland and on excavations beneath Roman forts on Hadrian’s Wall. It usually comprises a series of narrow ridges less than a metre apart, formed as the result of cultivation and it is generally considered to date to the late pre-Roman Iron Age. So we are getting an emerging picture of a pre-Roman arable agricultural regime with an associated field system that has hitherto been very elusive in the Chester area.

An article by Tim Gates in British Archaeology issue no. 49, for November 1999 offered the following observations on the dating of cord rigg:

Patches of ‘cord rigg’ have been identified at more than 70 different locations within the survey territory around Hadrian's Wall, and the size of separate plots can be anything from that of a small allotment to something larger than a football pitch. Its date has been suggested by a number of instances where late Iron Age or Roman period contexts have been established by excavation or field survey. For example, narrow-ridged soil surfaces have been found beneath the Hadrianic levels of several forts along the Wall. At Denton, west of Newcastle, a field of cord rigg was found to have been under cultivation right up to the point where the land was appropriated by the Roman army in order to build the Vallum in about AD130.

Since this form of cultivation seems to have required nothing very sophisticated in the way of tools, it would be no surprise if it proved to have a long prehistoric ancestry. Certainly, a strong case exists for its widespread use by native farmers in the later Iron Age and Roman periods not only in Northumberland but also in parts of southern Scotland. The evidence derives largely from air photographs which record many instances of cord rigg close to stone-built settlements similar to the ones described above.

Results from the 3D Laser Scan of the Roman Footprints

2006-08-09T13:08:00.000+01:00

As you know the excavation has recently revealed deposits associated with the building of the first amphitheatre and the impressions of footprints pressed in to the pre-Roman ground surface. We commissioned Birmingham Archaeology to undertake a 3D laserscan of these footprints to make a permanent record and as promised here are the results.

The scanner produced a 3D 'point-cloud' showing the shape of the footprints and a full colour 'texture-map' of the surface. The footprints show that a child or small adult walked barefoot across the site before the amphitheatre was built.

Images: Paul Burrows, Birmingham Archaeology / HP VISTA

Cutting Edge Technology ...

2006-08-04T16:41:00.000+01:00

is being employed to create a permanent record of the 'footprints'. We have commissioned Birmingham University (the HP Vista Technology centre) to record the foot-prints using a Leica HDS 3500 Laser Scanner - this has taken measurements at 0.5cm intervals to give intricate detail in order to make 3-dimensional rotational models, and from which resin casts can be made in the future. Images were also recorded from the surrounding area including some of the amphitheatre masonry in order to provide a context for the record of the footprints. Thanks again to Paul for all his hard work!

THE International Conference on the Roman Amphitheatre 2007

2006-08-04T10:47:00.000+01:00

An international conference on the Roman Amphitheatre will be held at the Grosvenor Museum, Chester from the 16th to the 18th of February 2007, with a wide range of speakers from across the territory of the Roman Empire.

The conference will open with a public lecture by Professor Kathleen Coleman (Harvard College Professor and Professor of Latin, Harvard University.)

We will post more information on the Blog as it becomes available ...

M&S Money Join Forces with the Archaeologists to Unearth Chester's History

2006-08-01T16:46:00.000+01:00

M&S Money staff offered their services to help the archaeologists working on Chester’s Amphitheatre excavation, as a key part of their company’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Several M&S Money employees assisted the professional archaeologists in excavating and recording areas of the site in order to find out more information about its fascinating Roman and pre-historical past.

Community Archaeological Officer, Jane Hebblewhite said “The work we do is on behalf of the community. This is everyone’s archaeology. Working with another major contributor to local life has been a rewarding experience for everyone involved and ultimately to the community whose past we’re entrusted to investigate. The interest and enthusiasm that M&S Money staff have shown when working with us has been very much appreciated”.

M&S Money Manager, Fiona Gallagher said “the team and I wanted to get involved with something that would enable us to give something back to Chester as well as giving us a chance to work as a team in a different environment. All of this we achieved as well as getting a better understanding and appreciation for archaeology and the Chester Amphitheatre.

Left to right: M&S Money Programme Office Team - Hazel Williams, Fiona Gallagher, Helen Sturmer, Tryfan Prosser, Jeanette O'Brien and Kelly Wright, and Chester City Council's Community Archaeological Officer - Jane Hebblewhite (right foreground)

More Finds from the Pit

2006-08-01T14:08:00.000+01:00

This coprolite was recovered from a rubbish pit that was just outside the first amphitheatre in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD. A preliminary examination under the microscope has confirmed that the coprolite contains many small fragments of bone. The presence of these fragments and the size and the general shape (both blunt and "tailed" ends survive) show it to be from a carnivore, almost certainly a dog. Thus it appears probable that a dog defecated here, possibly after scavenging on the numerous bones thrown into the pit.

Roman Find: intaglio

2006-07-31T15:21:00.000+01:00

This intaglio or gem, found whilst we were wet-sieving the fills from the Roman cesspit, measures just 10 mm by 8 mm and shows the mask of a young satyr, a Greek god of the woodlands. It has been carved into a piece of chalcedony which is a type of quartz.

Gems such as this were set into rings worn by both men and women. As well as being decorative they were used to make an impression in wax to secure correspondence and items of value, as a way of representing a personal signature.

The Latest News from the Trench ...

2006-07-31T10:21:00.000+01:00

Last week the bottom of the Roman cess-pit was finally reached. We were not able to excavate the whole pit as it disappears under the edge of our excavation trench and underneath the adjacent public highway. However, we have wet sieved all of the fills we have removed from the pit, and we are still sorting through the drying residues for all manor of artefacts and ecofacts. This process is proving to be highly rewarding as we are retrieving large amounts of fish bone and some intact coprolites. We are also finding some really small objects such as individual iron chain links from a mail shirt and a finely carved intaglio.

The bulk of the work has involved the removal of the remaining deposits associated with the cavea (seating bank) of the first amphitheatre. Due to the really hot and dry weather we’ve been having for the past few weeks this is proving a very arduous task as the clay is baked solid. Very few artefacts have been recovered from this exercise to date.

The area of the site where the footprints have been discovered has been temporarily covered over for short term protection as we are hoping to have the footprints and animal tracks recorded by laser scanning. We are hoping to be able to show you the results from this work on the website later in the summer.

Having a Knap

2006-07-26T12:13:00.000+01:00

As a part of National Archaeology Day Jason - a member of the Chester Amphitheatre Project team - carried out a very interesting and informative demonstration on the art of flint knapping. Why, you may ask, are we demonstrating flint knapping at a Roman amphitheatre site. Well, we have been finding quite a number of stone tools and it is causing some excitement. So we thought that you might like to see a selection of the flints that have surfaced to date ...

From left to right: A Mesolithic bladelet core; A late Neolithic hollow-based arrow-head with a single barb; A late Neolithic to early Bronze Age thumb nail scraper for preparing animal hides; A Mesolithic piercer for leather working; A late Neolithic to early Bronze Age blade.

Roman Find: glass beaker

2006-07-25T16:35:00.000+01:00

Part of the rim of a glass beaker which has been decorated by cutting out oval-shaped facets from the surface of the glass.

For Everyone Experiencing Problems with the Web Camera ...

2006-07-25T16:11:00.000+01:00

... please try again, our web team discovered a script error when using Internet Explorer that has now been fixed. You may need to re-install the Axis software, there should be a link in the image space or please try the link below:

http://www.axis.com/techsup/software/

Then click the link described as - AXIS Media Control (AMC)

AXIS Media Control is the recommended method for viewing video images in Microsoft Internet Explorer. It installs automatically on first use, after which it can be configured by opening the AMC Control Panel applet from the Windows Control Panel.

I hope you can now access our web camera.

What Do You REALLY Want to Do?

2006-07-24T12:40:00.000+01:00

The BBC recently paid a visit to the Chester Amphitheatre Project to record footage for a new television series called What Do You Really Want to Do. This series will feature the countries Top Ten Dream Jobs. David Vaughan - one of our Chester Amphitheatre Project team - was selected to take part having made a major personal life change by giving up a lucrative career in Marketing to pursue a career in archaeology. David has just gained a 1st Class Degree in Archaeology from the University of Birmingham! Do you want to know where archaeology came in this top ten? Well, were not telling you, but it did appear pretty high on the list :o) Keep a look out for the programme which will be broadcast in early September 2006.

Roman Find: pottery bowl

2006-07-21T15:32:00.000+01:00

A fragment from a pottery bowl which has been glazed. Pieces of Roman glazed vessels are very rarely found, but we do have evidence that they were made at Holt, 12 miles (7 km) from Chester in the late first and early-second centuries. The colour of the glazes varied from light yellow to green and dark brown.

Roman Find: The Wild Man of Chester

2006-07-20T13:14:00.000+01:00

This small copper-alloy stud with a stylised face may have been used to decorate a soldier’s belt or ‘apron’ - a series of vertical leather straps which hung from the belt. It is thought that these ‘aprons’ were worn for protection or possibly represented a mark of status.

Stepping Into the Past ... A rare survival

2006-07-20T10:21:00.000+01:00

On the south-western edge of the excavation a shallow hollow in the pre-Roman ground surface has been uncovered which may indicate the location of a large underlying feature such as a ditch. This hollow appears to have been wet and muddy shortly before it was covered by construction deposits associated with the building of the first amphitheatre as we have found the impressions of footprints that have been pressed in to the pre-Roman ground surface. So far we have been able to identify several small human footprints which may belong to a child or small adult - apparently walking around the hollow in bare feet. Several of the footprints may be animal tracks but identification will require further excavation. This sort of survival is very rare in the archaeological record and is usually only identified on coastal sites such as the Severn estuary or more locally on the shoreline at Formby. We will be taking plaster casts of the best preserved footprints over the next couple of days.

National Archaeology Weekend at the Amphitheatre an Outstanding Success

2006-07-19T11:31:00.000+01:00

In glorious sunshine July 2006 saw the return of gladiatorial combat and military displays to the arena. As part of National Archaeology Week the Amphitheatre hosted a fun packed event with a variety of entertaining and educational attractions.

The stars of the day were, undoubtedly, the Deva Victrix Leg XX v.v re-enactment group http://www.romantoursuk.com/deva_victrix.htm who staged several bouts of fierce combat and military prowess in the arena ...

New recruits were enlisted into the (Children's) Roman Army ...

The crowds were particularly impressed by the skills of one raw recruit, Shorticus, who soon had them eating out of the palms of his hands ...

More images from National Archaeology Day to follow, so watch this space ...

Watch out watch out there's an archaeologist about

2006-07-10T16:36:00.000+01:00

If you are ever at Chester's amphitheatre do keep your eyes peeled for the archaeologist wearing this funky top ...

as they will be giving ...

Free Guided Tours:
Tuesday to Saturday at 11:00am and 2:30pm
Meeting by the A-Frame on the walkway

Group bookings by arrangement only
phone Jane on 01244 402009

They will also answer any of your questions about the amphitheatre:
Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am until 4:30pm

Latest news from the trench ...

2006-07-07T14:13:00.000+01:00

Most of our efforts for this week have been concentrated on finishing off the excavation of the construction trenches for the timber beams (the grillage) which supported the timber staging for the seating in amphitheatre 1a. We will then be moving on to the removal of the remaining deposits that survive against the 'concentric wall' associated with the seating bank to amphitheatre 1. There are very few artefacts coming up at the moment. The only productive part of the site (in terms of artefacts) is in the south-western corner of area A where we think we are starting to uncover a large Roman cess-pit. A series of soil layers that appear to have slumped in to the top of this pit have produced the usual gamut of Roman finds including grey ware, orange ware and samian ware pottery; also a diverse range of animal bone including some very small bird bones and a piece of deer antler that has been sawn in several places. Hopefully, we will get a lot more from this area over the next week or so ...

So watch this space

PS IT are still trying to find out the cause for the breakdown in transmission from the Webcam, sorry for any disappointment this is obviously causing

National Archaeology Weekend at Chester Amphitheatre

2006-06-22T15:11:00.000+01:00

15 and 16 July 2006 10:30am - 4:00pm

The Amphitheatre will once again be brought to life by spectacular Roman gladiatorial combat and military displays. There will be an opportunity to see the excavation in progress, talk to the archaeologists, join a guided tour and take part in a number of hands-on activities, such as a mini-dig for children and trying on replica armour.

Free admission

Chester Roman Amphitheatre
Vicar's Lane
Chester
Cheshire

For further information:
T: 01244 402009
E: j.hebblewhite@chester.gov.uk

First Iron Age Archaeology to be Found in Chester

2006-06-21T17:08:00.000+01:00

Amphitheatre Site: area A

A pair of large post-holes were discovered beneath the Pre-Roman ground surface at the end of the 2005 excavation season. The dimensions of these post-holes suggests that they held timber posts 0.5m in diameter.

Wood charcoal from one of these post-holes was sent to the University of Waikato (in New Zealand) for radio-carbon dating at the end of May this year and the results came back early in June. They indicate that the timber posts that were set in the post-holes were removed sometime between 390-180 CalBC (Wk 19120), which means that the building that they form part of dates to the middle of the Iron Age. This is a period for which we have very little evidence in the Northwest of England and the post-holes represent the first Iron Age archaeology ever to be found in Chester.

Overlying these post-holes was a thick grey layer which appeared to cover most of the excavation trench except where it had been removed by more recent interventions (such as the walls of the amphitheatre, medieval cess pits etc). This layer remains largely unexcavated at present but is believed to represent the original (pre-Roman) ground surface. Pollen samples taken from two exposed sections of this layer have produced good results and an initial assessment has identified alder, hazel, grass and cereal pollen suggesting that the surrounding area had been managed as part of an arable farming regime (possibly an Iron Age farmstead).

A larger area of the pre-Roman ground surface is being removed this year to try and locate more post-holes in order to identify what type of structure they belong to.

So Long, Farewell...

2005-09-23T11:10:00.000+01:00

The big news is that as of this week we have completed all of the archaeological tasks we have set out to do and then some. And as of yesterday, a large section of the arena wall was finally uncovered in Area B. The section of wall is around 3 or more meters high and perfectly preserved. The area of wall in Area B is much higher than those exposed arena walls that were uncovered by FH Thompson in the 1960s.
Even though today is our last day, we are soldiering on and are still excavating. There are several features still to study, including more pits in Area C (around the 'apprentice stone'). There has not been any scheduled excavation for next year, but the site will just be covered over for the winter (as it was last year) until interpretation, preservation and access questions are all answered.
It has been a wonderful season this year, with so many hard-working archaeologists, volunteers and students. We archaeologists feel very proud and thankful to have worked on such an interesting and prestigious site. We just wanted to say a few words about this season's excavation:

"What to say? It has been both a pleasure and a joy to work here. The people are great, the site too. It's been a really good introduction to archaeology, and taught me skills that'll hopefully be useful in the future. I can't say enough how thankful and grateful to everyone on site I am; they have been supportive and helpful throughout. I wish them all the best, and thanks!"
--Will Craige (student and volunteer)

"It has been a stupendous season, with a huge amount of new information recovered. It has also been enormous fun, and the weather has been kind all summer. Most of all we have had a superb team of professionals, students and volunteers. And I would like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to their hard work and enthusiasm, to thank them whole-heartedly, and to wish them all the best for the future."
--Tony Wilmott (Project Co-director, English Heritage)

"It's been fantastic working with great company and learning 'tricks of the trade' in the process. One of my reasons for moving to Chester was its amazing history and the amphitheatre has never ceased to amaze me. Being here has furthered my desire to do an archaeology postgraduate, because if it's this much fun being a 'volunteer', it must get better being here full time. Thanks for a great two weeks , and Trench 'C' is the best!"
--Kasia Phillips (volunteer)

"There(s) (was) lovely"
--Cheryl Quinn (Archaeological Draughtsperson, Chester Archaeology)

"This has been such a wonderful opportunity. From an outreach perspective it has been great talking with the public and working with them to understand the 'non-archaeological' perception of the whole project. But it has also been great working on an archaeological site with such amazing people. It has been a great experience--I have learned a lot and made friends as well."
--Marie Rowland (Outreach Assistant/Archaeologist)

"It was cool...and I'm tired."
--Clare Malleson (Environmental Assistant/Archaeologist)

"We drunk a little wine, listened to a bit of jazz and did some archaeology here and there..."
--Rob Blackburn (Site Assistant/Archaeologist)

The Latest News from the Trenches...

2005-09-18T10:00:00.000+01:00

A big event this week has been the study of the square stone block, which was uncovered last week in Area C. It has recently been related to a mosaic at Bignor Roman Villa, in West Sussex. In the mosaic (which you can see at http://www.romansinsussex.co.uk/dbase/images/detail/biglads.jpg ) there is a square stone block, similar to the one we have uncovered in Trench C, situated between two fighting gladiators. In Roman Amphitheatres in England and Wales, by Roy Wilding, the mosaic is depicted and labeled as an 'apprentice stone' to which unwilling gladiators were chained. At the moment, our site directors are still looking for other examples of this type of stone, ideally featured in mosaic form as well. Also in this area a number of stone lined post-holes seem to represent a small building. Beneath this there are many other cut features. This suggests that there has been intensive use of the arena for post-Roman occupation. All of these features pre-date the earliest "cultivation" soils in the arena, which date to the 12th century. Watch this space for more details!

Area B continues to provide surprises. The robber trenches of the amphitheatre walls are 2m deep, and the robbing seems to date to the 11th century. The amphitheatre was probably plundered for stone during the construction of St John's church at that time. Excavation in Area B is going fast and vast amounts of soil are being removed everyday. Hopefully, by the time we close for the season we can uncover much more of the Roman and pre-Roman layers.

In Area A, the finds keep coming fast and thick from the layers of sand in between the concentric and exterior walls of the amphitheatre. So far this week we have discovered some intriguing and rare Roman cut glass, samian ware, copper-alloy pieces, part of a copper-alloy brooch, and an interesting piece of lead shaped like a coin (but possibly a token to get into the amphitheatre). Also found were two intaglios (like the one found last year in the picture to the left)--pieces of cut stone (often reddish-orange carnelian) with engravings of gods, goddesses, or just emblems such as weights and scales. Intaglios (Italian for 'carving') were often used as a stamp or a seal and were pressed into clay or wax to create a raised impression. They were often set into rings or other types of jewelry; however, in this case the intaglios were found on their own.
It is important to note that some of these small items, like an intaglio, are found not only through excavation but through the processes of flotation and wet-sieving as well. To put it in perspective--the intaglios that we have found are only a bit bigger than a thumbnail.

--The Archaeologists

News From A, B and C...

2005-09-09T09:24:00.000+01:00

These past few weeks have seen vast changes in Areas A, B and C. The trenches are getting deeper, and as such, we are uncovering new and exciting information in the amphitheatre's archaeology and construction.
As stated in the last amphitheatre diary, the focus in Area A is solely on the Roman archaeology of the site. During this week's excavation, a Roman layer rich in occupational finds was uncovered. This occupational layer is cut by the steps of the concentric (inner) wall of the amphitheatre, thus predating them and making it quite an early layer in the amphitheatre's archaeological record. This layer has yielded a bit of everything--pottery, bone and even small pieces of copper-alloy. Another major undertaking has been the removal of the layers on top of the timber grillage, as well as most of the grillage itself. Pieces of pottery, including early Roman (including some red-painted ware that has yet to be identified) and native wares made in a late Iron Age tradition, have been found in the layers covering the timber grillage. These pieces were redeposited above the grillage when the grillage was being put into place. The grillage pieces themselves have also produced quite a number of archaeological finds, including a coin of Domitian that has so recently helped us to date the original construction of the amphitheatre to around 95/6 AD. Nails in the decomposed wood of the grillage have also yielded important information. On some of these nails, the corroded wood has been preserved allowing analysts to discover that the grillage beams were made of beech and not oak (as we had originally expected).

For the past few weeks the excavation in Area B has been concentrated towards the back of the trench nearest to the east entrance of the amphitheatre. On the side of the trench against Little St. John's Street, the amphitheatre's concentric wall has been located. However, there is a large robber trench as well, the fills of which are currently in the process of being removed. In fact, tons upon tons of spoil have been removed from that area just this week. Interesting as well is the appearance of a linear feature running almost parallel with the east entrance of the amphitheatre. This feature could possibly be a part of the east entrance or something Post-Roman. In the process of uncovering these layers, many Roman artefacts have been found including various examples of interesting pottery (including samian ware), copper-alloy fragments, Roman window glass, and animal bone.

Area C is located almost in the exact center of the amphitheatre's arena. Currently, it's depth is around 4 meters and we are not stopping there. At this depth, we are past the Medieval and now into the early Post-Roman phase of the arena floor. About 6-8 postholes have been uncovered, some with packing stones around them. Several small pits have also been uncovered. However, what has been most intriguing about this layer (for archaeologists and the public alike) is the large square stone block in the center of the trench. In the center of the block is a chunk of lead with iron inserts (possibly for a chain to be attached). The nature and usage of this block is currently being questioned. A few interpretations are that it could be part of an animal tether, or that it could be something that was built during Roman occupation and simply reused later. As we dig even deeper, down to the Roman layers, more information will hopefully be revealed.

-The Archaeologists

Latest Amphitheatre Diary

2005-08-12T10:47:00.000+01:00

The last few weeks have seen great advancements in our knowledge on all fronts. To those readers unfamiliar with the amphitheatre site this year we have three excavation trenches open: Trench ‘A’ opposite the ‘off the wall’ pub; trench ‘B’ opposite St. John’s church; and trench ‘C’ located roughly equidistantly between trenches ‘A’ and ‘B’.

Trench ‘A’ is now focused solely on the Roman archaeology of the site, and specifically, at unravelling the construction sequence of Chester’s amphitheatre. Recently, we have uncovered several of the bases to what were thought to be buttresses on the outer wall of the second amphitheatre. These bases have mortar patches and stress fractures that suggest that they formed pads for engaged half columns, which would have served as decorative details of the amphitheatres architectural design. This lends further support to the idea that the second amphitheatre at Chester was built on a monumental scale with an outer façade designed to impress. Beyond this outer wall we are now in the process of excavating a series of overlying Roman roads that represent the repeated re-surfacing of the road that would have run around the outer circumference of the amphitheatre. The uppermost of these road surfaces is producing numerous iron hob nails, which must have worked their way loose from the soles of sandals worn by the crowds of spectators visiting the amphitheatre.

Trench ‘B’ is currently answering many questions about the transition of the site from part of the medieval monastic precinct of St. John’s church to its later secular use. A series of large pits had been excavated in to the area during the early 17th century probably to extract the underlying sand of the amphitheatre seating bank. Prior to this the site appears to have enjoyed a brief spell as a formal garden with intricately designed borders, which may have defined a decorative maze. This garden was laid out on top of demolition rubble and the stone foundations to an earlier complex of buildings, which may represent part of the Dean’s house that is known to have stood in this part of the medieval monastic precinct. Amongst the building debris we have found glazed medieval floor tiles, decorated medieval window glass and moulded plaster coving that must be derived from a high status building. We have also uncovered a massive stone wall foundation some 5 feet thick and an associated cobbled surface that would have been constructed on top of the earlier fills of the amphitheatres arena. The most likely explanation for this wholesale demolition and shift towards a formal garden would be as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII.

The same spread of building debris has been encountered in trench ‘C’ though no underlying building foundations have yet been identified. What has come to light, however, is a large pit probably dating to the 16th century that contained many fragments to a pottery costrel (water bottle) made on the Surrey/Hampshire borders. The pit also contained a large quantity of animal bone probably indicating the debris from a large feast, and we have contemporary documents that illustrate the level of decadence to which such feasts could reach. It is too early in the analysis to list what was consumed during this feast but we have taken over 500 litres of soil samples to ensure that nothing is missed!

Dan Garner & Tony Wilmott

Shrine Images

2005-07-26T09:38:00.000+01:00

I thought you might be interested in some images of the shrine mentioned in the recent diary...

Here's the shrine in situ in Area A:

Here's the same picture, but with the shrine outlined:

Here's the actual painted section of the wall enhanced a bit so you can see it a little more clearly:

And finally a close up of that area:

The LATEst Amphitheatre Diary

2005-07-25T11:31:00.000+01:00

Here is, a bit belatedly, the most recent Amphitheatre Diary from the Chester Chronicle:

The last two weeks has really seen the team getting into their stride, and the fine weather has enabled us to make excellent progress on all parts of the site. In the main Area A, we have concentrated on investigating a narrow strip of archaeology which lay outside the outer wall of the first amphitheatre. Though the foundations for the outer wall of the second amphitheatre were dug through this material, the narrow strip lay beneath the seating and was therefore protected and survived. It is unique in the Roman Empire to have surviving archaeology which can tell us what happened immediately outside an amphitheatre when the building was in use, and we have therefore been taking our time.

Near the northern entrance to the amphitheatre we have been puzzled by a small, semicircular structure which was built against the outer wall of the first amphitheatre. This structure was plastered on the inside, and the plaster was painted. In the debris found inside were fragments of white, yellow, light and dark blue, and red painted plaster. At least one of the red pieces had a stripe pained on in white. The red is very dark, and may have been made with cinnabar, an expensive imported pigment. Apart from the arena wall in the latest period, this is the only evidence for painted plasterwork on the site, and its presence must mean that this little structure was important. The most probable explanation is that this is a shrine. There is other evidence to back up the idea. At the amphitheatre at Carnuntum in Austria, the shrine of Nemesis occupies the same relative position to the entrance as our shrine. At Caerleon in Wales, a small structure in the same relative spot was also interpreted as a shrine.

The small room within the amphitheatre at the arena end of the north entrance has always been identified as the Nemesis chapel (Nemeseum) of the second amphitheatre, mainly because of the discovery there of an alter to the goddess. However, the Latin is an early form, and for some time it has been thought that the altar was moved from an earlier site Â did the altar originally adorn our small, expensively painted alcove? The shrine is the right size not for a major municipal religious centre, but for a private dedication, and the Nemesis altar is very much a private dedication, made to the goddess by the centurion Sextus Marcianus after a vision. We can only imagine what kind of guilty conscience might have led Marcianus to have a nightmare and to attempt to placate the goddess of divine retribution. Possibly his response was quite lavish, not just the dedication of an altar, but the building and decoration of a shrine to put it in.

Dan Garner (Chester City Council) and Tony Wilmott (English Heritage)

New Finds

2005-07-22T16:22:00.000+01:00

We know you are all hungry for more information so how about some new finds?

Well I've just added a new batch of 10 brand new discoveries. From Neolithic tools to school badges!

If you are a Chester resident you might be able to help us identify which school the badges are from? If they are from Chester at all!

I've also added photographs taken from last Saturdays National Archaeology Day.

Stay tuned for more information as it comes through!

Hopefully paint drying won't seem like a viable alternative anymore...

A New Year of Amphitheatre Diary

2005-06-20T12:20:00.000+01:00

As last year Dan Garner and Tony Wilmott, the two site co-ordinators of the amphitheatre project will be supplying the Chester Chronicle with their fortnightly diary of events. Here is the first edition of this years excavations:

The second season of excavations at Chester’s Roman amphitheatre began in earnest on Tuesday, June 14. Riding on the success of BBC2’s Timewatch programme ‘Britain’s lost Colosseum’ (aired on Friday, May 17 – and again the following Monday, thanks to industrial action by the BBC’s Newsnight team!), hopes are high for another summer of astounding revelations that will help to re-write Chester’s history.

The winter protection has now been removed and the team have been showing off their gardening skills with some industrious weeding and a bit of grass verge trimming. As the white sheeting and sandbags were removed, the site emerged, and we began to remind ourselves of just where it was left last year – and just how much work remains to be done! Not only have we exposed the areas excavated last year, but enlarged the areas near the middle of the site.

A question we are already being asked by visitors is “What do you hope to find this year?” There are several answers. In the area near the middle of the site we are down to 17th century levels associated with the Civil War siege of Chester 360 years ago. We will discover what the landscape was like at this time, whether gun batteries were built, and how this may have influenced the strategy of the besiegers. Moving back in time, we hope to find out whether there are any monastic buildings relating to St Johns in our area, and how early these are. The discovery of early Christian burials nearby in 2000 suggests St Johns was an early foundation; can we confirm this? If so, is it related to the idea of the amphitheatre as a place of Christian martyrdom?

As for the amphitheatre structure, we still have no clear idea of how it was used in the early post-Roman period – the so-called Dark Ages. Was it a separate fortification? Was it inhabited as a refuge, or as a centre of power? Was it the location of the Synod of bishops at Chester in the early 7th century?

We have a great deal of evidence for the Roman phases of the amphitheatre, but there are still questions to ask about the architecture and engineering of the building and the way in which it was used. The most crucial question, though, is what date were the two amphitheatres built?

We will be writing fortnightly updates for the Chronicle during the excavation. The latest news can be found on the amphitheatre web-site at www.chesteramphitheatre.co.uk, or just come down for a look!

Dan Garner (Chester City Council) and Tony Wilmott (English Heritage)

Things are finally moving again!

2005-06-16T13:28:00.000+01:00

This is just a quick note to say that the project is now back up and running again after the winter break. You can see the covers have nearly all be carefully removed from the site on the webcam, so digging work will soon be getting underway in earnest.

You can expect to start seeing the information trickling it's way through slowly as the work gathers pace over the next few weeks.

We are hoping to have much more activity on the blog this year, but stay tuned for another announcement when we get more details!

Finishing Up

2004-10-18T08:48:00.000+01:00

Finally we are getting summaries and finishing data from the extensive digs over the summer months.

In the next day or two you can expect to see some some detailed and fascinating information appearing on the main site!

However to keep you going for a few hours here is the answer to the question one of you posed about what's happening during the "putting to bed" of the amphitheatre site:

"The first season of excavation was completed at the end of September and both trenches have now been covered for the winter. We have backfilled the deepest holes and protected the more unstable Roman walls with sandbags. In addition, the whole site has been covered with 'Terram', a semi-permeable membrane to minimise frost and rain damage."

So that explains why it looks like a bit like a Christmas card on the webcam...

(We are planning to move the camera to give a more overall view of the Site during the winter months.)

Updates Coming Soon!

2004-09-30T11:36:00.000+01:00

I know a lot of you are waiting for some more news from the site, and I've been promised a comprehensive update for early next week!

This should include more finds news as well as summaries of the extensive work carried out over the summer months.

Apologies for the recent lack of news, as you can imagine the last few weeks of the dig were very hectic with everyone working hard to finish their work before the close, so time to collect and distribute information has been limited.

(also some of us have been on much needed sunny holidays - ahem :o)

Three new finds

2004-09-07T15:28:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to bring three new finds to your attention.

We have a nice Roman broach, some more samian ware and a spindle whorl, which was part of the machines used before the spinning wheel was invented.

Amphitheatre Diary Six

2004-09-03T13:00:00.000+01:00

The week has been one of steady progress rather than spectacular discovery. This is the nature of most archaeological work, though the moments of revelation are the ones which we all remember. It will not be long now until we can say that all of the post-Roman archaeology has gone from Area A. In particular all of the later pits and stone robbing trenches will have been emptied. The advantage of these later disturbances on site is that we can see a good deal of what is to come, as the Roman archaeology appears in cross-section. As work continues, methodical and organised, so thoughts develop on what it might mean.

Some of this week’s thoughts in Area A relate to the years at the end of the Roman, and the immediate post-Roman periods – the times often known as the "Dark Ages". In one of the public entrances or "vomitoria", the massive stone threshold has been found. While the amphitheatre was in use the road around its circumference, (the forerunner of the modern road) was constantly re-surfaced and maintained. Over time these surfaces spilled over the threshold until the entrance and road combined, giving an even walking surface from the road into the amphitheatre. After many years of road build-up, a foundation trench was cut down to the threshold level and a wall was inserted which blocked and closed the entrance. The eastern main entrance was also blocked. Now, one of the models for the post-Roman development of the amphitheatre is that it may have become an independent stronghold. Blocking the entrances would be one way of securing such a place.

There are many amphitheatres along the frontiers of the Roman empire which became the fortifications of the petty kings who picked up the reins of power as the western empire fragmented. Was Chester one of these? The pattern of robbing might also indicate this. The walls of the internal structures were robbed for building material, but this robbing stopped short of the outer wall. Was this because the wall was still in use as a defence? The robbing of the outer wall took place from outside the amphitheatre, indicating that any reuse of the circuit had come to an end. The key to this will be any dating evidence which might be recovered from the robber trenches, but exciting possibilities exist.

In the area near St John’s Church work on the post-medieval deposits has continued, with hints emerging as to the existence of medieval buildings. Two good Roman finds have been made; a second century disc brooch of bronze decorated by silvering and coloured enamels and the bottom half of an elegant, slender, glass perfume bottle. Though these are excellent evidence of Roman activity, the presence of these finds in post-medieval deposits suggest that the Roman levels are disturbed.

The torrential rain which caused so much flooding and mayhem o the roads had its effect on site. We watched as the sand deposits virtually washed away. After the water subsided, we could see finds on the surface. One of these was a tiny flint blade dating to the Mesolithic period some 8-10,000 years ago. This is one of a small, but growing number of finds which indicate occupation, or at least human activity in Chester for a very long time indeed, opening up whole new potential stories of the past of the city.

Tony & Dan

Dig Diary 5

2004-08-27T16:36:00.000+01:00

Well, despite the unseasonably wet weather we’ve continued to have high numbers of visitors at the amphitheatre excavations. One of the most frequently asked questions is “So what was Chester’s amphitheatre actually used for?”

Owing to the presence of the Twentieth Legion at Chester (a unit of approximately 6,000 soldiers - some of whom almost certainly built the amphitheatre), it has been suggested that the arena may have been used for military functions such as drill displays – or the Roman equivalent of a military tattoo. However, the arena is really not large enough to have been practicable for such displays on anything larger than the size of a century (a unit of 80 men), and the presence of a large Roman parade ground underneath the area now occupied by Frodsham Street makes a military function for the amphitheatre even less likely.

By analogy we know that in other parts of the Roman Empire amphitheatres were used to hold ‘spectacula’ that were always laid on by the local political leaders (the City Council of the day!). The morning shows were usually given over to exhibitions of animals rather like a performance at a modern circus. This was followed by the ‘wild beast hunt’ that could involve the killing of exotic animals such as lions, tigers and even polar bears transported from across the Empire and beyond. More familiar animals such as bulls, wolves and wild boar were also used and the animals killed in the arena were often eaten afterwards as delicacies. At midday the spectators could eat while they watched the punishment of criminals: bankrupts were flogged and released whilst other crimes had a more terminal solution. Finally, in the afternoon shows were given by gladiators either on foot or on horseback.

So in light of what we know about amphitheatres in other parts of the Roman Empire, what does the archaeological evidence to date tell us specifically about Chester’s amphitheatre?

During the 1930’s archaeological excavations on the sands of the arena floor at Chester recovered fragments of human bone that could represent the remains of victims or criminals who met their end entertaining the local populace. A pit found outside the southern entrance of the amphitheatre in the late 1990’s contained the refuse from a large feast including bones from more than 20 pigs (or wild boar), could these have been animals killed during a wild beast hunt in the arena and subsequently eaten during an exclusive banquet?

Excitingly, our excavations have produced many sherds of decorated Roman pottery bowls mass-produced in Gaul (modern France) that depict scenes of wild beast hunts and gladiatorial combat. The occurrence of large numbers of these bowls at London’s amphitheatre has suggested that the bowls may have been sold there as souvenirs to remind the spectators of their day’s entertainment – the same could be true at Chester. Previous evidence for gladiators at Chester is suggested by part of a slate relief found just outside the amphitheatre (on Newgate Street) depicting a gladiator known as a retiarius armed with a trident and a net. Furthermore, a shrine to the goddess Nemesis furnished with a stone alter (who as a goddess of fate was a favourite deity of gladiators in other parts of the empire) was also found by the north entrance to Chester’s arena in the 1960’s.

We can even speculate about the snacks available to the average spectator as we have found large amounts of animal bone during our excavations that probably relate to rubbish removed from the seating after a day’s entertainment. The most common find appears to be pieces of beef rib cut in the same manor as spare ribs are today, chicken bones and coriander seeds have also been found (a Roman version of chicken curry?). Possibly, slightly more nefarious substances were also being consumed as suggested by the discovery of opium poppy seeds in one of the amphitheatre’s main drains.

So as the excavations continue and the archaeological evidence grows it seems increasingly likely that Chester’s amphitheatre was used in the same way as many others across the Roman Empire!

Dan and Tony

It's been a while

2004-08-23T15:07:00.000+01:00

It has been a while since I've had much to post (mainly due to the appalling weather!), but at least you've been kept entertained by Dan and Tony's Dig Diary!

Anyway there have been quite a few updates over the last couple of days:

Issue 4 of the Project Newsletter has been released for download.

There are some updates on how the different areas are coming along. Also the section has been shuffled around to accommodate it's ever growing amount of info. You can now access Area A, Area B and Area C individually.

There's a small story about the recent visit to the site by the Mersey and Dee Young Archaeologist Club.

There are pages from our resident artists - Julia Midgley and David Heke. With some excellent examples of their work.

And finally there is the usual mass of new finds. I have got more but I've decided to drip them out because there are so many. For now have a look at the nine medieval and post-medieval examples.

You may also notice that the main navigation bar has changed. I decided that the finds section was so large now that it deserved a heading all of it's own. Therefore I've moved "the team" section into "the work".

Diary Week Four

2004-08-17T11:30:00.000+01:00

Rain! The story of the week.

It has been a tremendous effort to keep things moving on site as one heavy shower after another passed over and dumped on us. Even on the web site the curiosity was reflected in a message – What do archaeologists do when it rains?

There are two reasons not to continue work on site, and the safety of the workers is the most important. Wheelbarrow planks become muddy and slippery, and very quickly it becomes impossible to dispose of excavated soil safely. With so many deep holes on the site a slip could result in serious injury. The other consideration is the damage that can be done to the site. The mud which sticks to boot soles is actually the archaeology of the site, and the damage caused by an afternoon of trampling on site can take a week of clearing up and a great deal of lost information.

There are a lot of off-site tasks which need to be performed. The essence of archaeology is to record what is excavated. When a site is excavated it is effectively destroyed. The process of excavation has been compared with reading a priceless manuscript once, copying it, and burning it, so the original can never be consulted again. This means that the written, drawn and photographic records have to be very accurately codified, and this generates complex, interrelated work on both paper and computer, which ensures that the records are in good shape for future analysis and publication. The pressures of work on site and to maximise the weather conditions to continue to dig, means that sorting out the records can become evening work for the directors and supervisors. Wet days are often the time when these records can be completed, properly understood and filed.

In the finds processing room, the trays of objects have to be washed, dried, and then marked with their own unique identifying numbers. This ensures that the finds can be directly related to the place on site from which they came. The work is very laborious and painstaking. Although there are always a number of people doing this work, a rainy day – or week –allows us to bring the work up to date. Similarly, the soil samples taken on site are sieved through the wet-sieving unit on site. These samples need to be dried, and then sorted. Samples from our medieval cess pits are demonstrating aspects of the environment, health and diet of the medieval population of Chester. This is shown through the presence of small animal bones, fish bones, and even the egg cases of intestinal parasites. Sample sorting requires concentration and the ability to distinguish between tiny particles. This is probably the most painstaking job which occurs on site, and is also a useful way of using labour on rainy days.

So what do archaeologists do when it rains and they cannot dig? The answer is that they concentrate on the rest of the multifaceted and multiskilled job which is described by the general heading of "archaeologist".

From the Chester Chronicle, August 13

Amphitheatre Diary Three

2004-08-10T12:02:00.000+01:00

The summer holidays are here and visitor numbers at the excavation are soaring. Interest in the work is enormous and seems to be growing. There is a constant stream of people over the viewing platform - especially at weekends.

At present the trench near the road is full of people down deep holes (Area A). This is because we are emptying medieval and later cess pits and rubbish pits which have been cut into the Roman structure.

We are also beginning to dig out the robber trenches where Roman stonework has been removed (or 'robbed') for use elsewhere.

These trenches are useful, as they always follow and preserve the lines of the Roman walls. This is because of the way the stone robbers worked; they would dig down to find a wall, or use a part standing wall, and then follow it, removing all the stone down to the foundations and throwing back any broken stone or lumps of mortar that they did not want. If a wall is totally robbed, therefore, we can still know it's line, and thus the plan of the building.

One of the main questions we are anxious to answer is the date of the robbing of the amphitheatre. One area has given an indication. A cess pit which we emptied contained pottery and objects of the early part of the medieval period.

This was the last of the four pits dug after the side wall of one of the entrances to the amphitheatre was removed.

One of the finds was a bone comb. This beautiful object consists of a bone plate, which has narrow teeth on one side, and wider teeth on the other. The comb probably dates to the 10-12th century and might give a clue to the health of the user - nits have been found between the teeth of similar objects in the past!

Other medieval finds have included a bronze buckle and an iron key. We also have significant numbers of goat horns and leg bones, and also cow jaws and leg bones. These bones were often left attached to skins when they went to the tanners and may be tannery waste. The leather industry was very important in Chester from medieval times onward.

In the last week we have begun guided tours of the site. These leave from the Chester Visitor Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm. They cost £4 per adult, £1.50 for children and £5 for families.

from the Chester Chronicle, published 6th August

Finds Overload!

2004-08-04T12:21:00.000+01:00

Another eight finds have been added to the finds section! That's ten in the last 24 hours or so.

The new finds are: A Roman ring, a Roman mortaria, some more Roman glass, an iron key, a needle, a horseshoe nail, a buckle, some 18th century games pieces and a piece from a slipware cup.

With so many finds now on there we have revamped the whole section. The main page will now just have the latest finds from the last few days. After the move from there they will go to their respective period pages: Roman, Medieval, Post Medieval, or Modern.

Also each find is being given an individual link, so if we need to link straight to the detailed sword handle find, we can!

However, with this section growing ever faster we doubt it will be the last structure change...

Until then let us know what you think of the changes, and of the site in general. It's always nice to get some feedback on what we're doing.

But be gentle :O)

Penned In

2004-08-03T16:17:00.000+01:00

Corny pun aside there are a couple of new finds to look at in the finds section: a 13th century pen, and a set of medieval tweezers.

Also for those who were asking about the geophysics results (Dave), a new set of more detailed maps have been uploaded for you to have a look at.

Excavation Chronicle Vol. Two

2004-08-02T14:10:00.000+01:00

As promised, here's the next part of the diary from the Chester Chronicle. This was published just last Friday (30/07):

We ended last week’s diary with the comment that a JCB was not the right tool to remove tree stumps due to the disturbance of buried archaeology this would cause. Readers who passed the site last Friday might have been confused, therefore, to see another drastic piece of 21st century kit being used – a jackhammer. This was the ideal tool to remove the last piece of the 20th century archaeology of the site – a brick garage, complete with concrete floor and an inspection pit with brick-lined sides and a tile floor!

The archaeology of the 20th century has been a large part of the work to date. The amphitheatre was criss-crossed by sewer pipe trenches. The salt-glazed sewer pipes were stamped with makers’ names, including firms as far afield as North Wales and Liverpool. Fragments of brick floor have been removed, and visitors passing over the viewing platform have been entertained by the sight of bricks and rubble travelling up the conveyor belts. Everyone on site was relieved when the last bricks from the garage clanged into the skip.

One of the biggest jobs so far has been to identify and remove the backfill of excavations which took place in the 1930s and 1960s. This was difficult because the spoil (including rubble and bricks) was put back into the excavations, and we had problems separating the fill and the intact archaeology. Often we were helped by finds which you might not associate with archaeology. 1960s fill, for instance, contained crisp packets with pre-decimal prices printed on them, and a wrapper of the once-familiar Tiger Bread priced at 1/1d (now about 5.4p); truly today’s rubbish is tomorrow’s archaeology. Just like today, our archaeological predecessors broke or lost equipment – a 1960s shovel and a 1930s pocket knife have been found.

All of these modern disturbances of the site have, of course damaged the earlier archaeology, but they also give us a sneak preview of what lies deeper. In Trench A, nearest the road, we can now be sure that the site was levelled in the Victorian period for building. This operation reduced the level of the ground to such an extent that the 20th century garage lay directly upon the Roman stone walls of the amphitheatre.

Area B, near St John’s church, is a different matter. There is no sign of levelling here, and the garden soil which has been removed in the last week contained a mass of 18th century finds. These include exotic and expensive items such as Chinese porcelain, suggesting that the households in this area at the time were not poor. Perhaps the most common type of find from these soils are fragments of clay tobacco pipes – the 18th century equivalent of cigarette ends

So this week has seen us move deeper into the more recent past of the city, with a real variety of finds from all periods coming up. Ahead lie the prospects of good medieval and Roman archaeology. We will write more next week. In the meantime keep in touch with the work, and watch it via the website and webcam.

Dan Garner (Chester City Council)
Tony Wilmott (English Heritage)

Dig Diary

2004-07-30T16:33:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone!

For our first posts what we are going to do is relay our diary that is published weekly in the local Chester Chronicle newspaper.

We thought it would be a good idea for those not fortunate enough to live close to the action, or are unable to get the paper.

So here is the diary that was published a couple of weeks ago, it was actually witten for the week beginning 12/07. We'll post the latest edition in the next few days.

Well it’s been an eventful week down at the excavations. Anyone wandering past the site last Tuesday or Wednesday would have noticed an 8.5 meter high scaffold tower being put up and taken down with great aplomb. You may even have seen one or two worried looking characters at the top clinging to the handrail with one hand and rattling off photographs with the other. This was all aimed at getting some good birds eye views of the excavations at the end of our first months digging. In summary much of our efforts to date have concentrated on the re-excavation of the area close to the arena wall that was partially investigated in the 1960’s, and the removal of 19th and 20th century garden soils from the trench being excavated adjacent to St. John’s church.

Saturday marked the advent of National Archaeology Day, which this year was held at the amphitheatre. Those of you brave enough to weather the torrential rain (or optimistic enough to believe that it couldn’t last) would have been treated to a range of entertainments including guided tours of the excavations by an archaeologist, displays of some of the more interesting artefacts already recovered from the excavations and a range of activities for all the family in the blue and white stripped marquee tent. The crowning attraction was of course our troop of gladiators who with the aid of gallons of theatrical blood recreated some of the more gory spectacles likely to have taken place in Chester’s arena. It was actually rather disturbing to note how many of our mild mannered visitors (young and old) rapidly descended into a frenzied mob baying for the blood of the defeated combatants – have we really changed that much?

Those of you crossing the walkway on Sunday would have seen three rather exhausted looking archaeologists chipping away at one of three large tree stumps in the trench by St. John’s church. Although, this is a pursuit not often associated with archaeology these stumps are in the way of our excavations and need to be removed carefully to limit the disturbance to the underlying remains (and no, a JCB isn’t the right tool for the job!) – So one down, two to go!

Till next time keep watching the developments on our web-cam.

Dan & Tony

Hope you enjoyed our first post, we hope to bring you lot's more over the coming months!

A couple more updates

2004-07-30T16:24:00.000+01:00

We've just added a couple more bits of interesting information.

This weeks "Find of the Week" has been added. It's an antler bone comb, found in a medieval cess pit from Area A.

And speaking of Area A, there's been a lot of information about the actual Amphitheatre walls that have now been uncovered in that area of the site, added to the Excavation Areas section.

Lots to tell!

2004-07-28T16:30:00.001+01:00

A days worth of updates have just been uploaded to the site. Including:

A complete overhaul of the non-invasive survey section, due to the addition of lots of results and conclusions! The geophysics is the most detailed (needing it's own results page), but the others are also well worth looking at, like the aerial survey and cartographical survey.

Also added are two new finds images. One is a much more detailed image of the sword handle, the other is an image of a new find - part of a bronze spoon used to apply Roman makeup!

There is information on the new guided tours around the amphitheatre site, where you are taken around the work by one of the actual archaeologists who have been doing the work on the site.

And on top of all that Issue Three of the newsletter has also been released, and is ready to be downloaded!

Phew.

Addresses

2004-07-23T14:57:00.000+01:00

I'd just like to bring to your attention the proper address for the Chester Amphitheatre Project website, because there are loads of different combinations - some which won't work as well as others.

The main address we use for promotions is www.chesteramphitheatre.co.uk this is just an easy to remember media friendly address. It links directly too...

http://www.chester.gov.uk/amphitheatre/index.html - this is the proper address to use really and is the direct link to the main page of the site.

These are the two addresses that you should use for accessing the site, or if you are telling people about the site etc etc.

You might notice that you end up at a few variations, which are 'legacy' addresses from the past. When the site was first launched it was at www.chestercc.gov.uk/heritage/archaeology/amphitheatre/index.html - a mouthfull if ever there was one! So we moved to the current position. Unfortunately people discovering the site through Google are still directed here.

There are a couple of problems with this:

First, although there is a version of the site there, it isn't up to date at all...

and...

Second, we are in the process of phasing out the chestercc.gov.uk domain in favour of just chester.gov.uk, and it will stop working in the not too distant future!

So basically if you are visiting, or linking to, us make sure you use either www.chesteramphitheatre.co.uk or www.chester.gov.uk/amphitheatre/index.html

Thank You!

Lots of finds!

2004-07-22T09:36:00.000+01:00

Just a few things to inform you about.

First is the bumper stack of finds photos that have been added on to the the finds section. Some very interesting objects, such as musket balls, Samian Ware and milk bottles!

You may have noticed the camera has been moving about a bit over the last week. It was moved over the weekend to cover the action at National Archaeology Day, then on Monday we moved it back to look over Area A. It's now looking slighltly more towards the Little St. John Street end of the Site to give a better view of the work in that area.

Roman Sword!

2004-07-17T03:07:00.000+01:00

The most exciting find yet has been posted into the finds section: a part of a bone handle from a Roman sword. The sword is the first of it's type to be found in Chester, and was the kind Roman Soldiers carried. The fact that it was found in the Amphitheatre is very interesting, and offers up some interesting possibilities as to how it came to rest there.

Also there are updates with some more photographs from the site, taken from a new viewing platform the archaeologists are using.

And there is a lot of information regarding tomorrows exciting National Archaeology Day event at the Amphitheatre and Chester Visitor Centre.

Images of finds!

2004-07-13T09:29:00.000+01:00

Thought you would like to know we have just posted up the first images of finds from the site.

The photographs are of three coins ranging from around 1247, back to around AD341-346 - the time of Emperor Constantius II.

Finds and Trench information

2004-07-07T10:47:00.000+01:00

Issue Two of the Amphitheatre Newsletter has been released and is available for download.

With it comes updates on what's happening in the trenches, and what has been found at the site so far.

Hopefully this will help give you a better picture of what is happening on the site at the moment.

More updates... and apologies

2004-07-06T16:02:00.000+01:00

There are more photographs of the work so far to look at. These include some closer images of the work in Area A, and the first picture of the work that has just started in Area B.

We have also added a map to the webcam page which shows the current viewing angle in relation to the Site and it's home at the Chester Visitor Center.

A couple of people who have posted comments here have asked some very reasonable questions, which we are gathering the information for, but please bear with us...

The archaeologists still haven't got a direct internet link and, as I'm sure you can appreciate, it is a very busy time for them. But we are working hard to bring you more up to date news (and answers) as soon as we can!

We can only apologise and promise that when we do get news the website will be the place to find it.

Yet more updates

2004-06-22T15:42:00.000+01:00

Taking advantage of the fine weather this morning we took the opportunity to take several photographs of the work so far.

Also you can now find information about the Amphitheatre Interpretation Centre, that is based on the first floor of the Chester Visitor Center, opposite the Amphitheatre site.

Thank you to those of you that have posted comments here so far, it's always good to hear what you think. We are hoping to have the archaeologists posting very soon, they are currently having technical difficulties at their new site office, but we've been assured these will be sorted very soon.

So keep checking back!

Website updates

2004-06-21T11:17:00.000+01:00

Quite a few updates to the site to quickly tell you about:

Some early information about finds at the site.

Updates on the work on the trenches

Get Involved section information added

The first Chester Amphitheatre Project Newsletter released and ready for download in PDF format.

Webcam Position

2004-06-18T12:40:00.000+01:00

You've probably already noticed but we've just spent the last half an hour adjusting the webcam into a slightly different position.

All we've done is zoom into the area of work a bit more closely, which should hopefully give you a better idea of the work that is going on at the Site.

It will be moved around more as the work changes throughout the dig.

Welcome to the Chester Amphitheatre Project Blog

2004-06-15T14:03:00.000+01:00

I know for a start that there will be quite a few people asking "what's a blog?"

Blog is a term taken from a shortening of the term weB LOG. A web log is a internet version of the good old diary, they allow people to post regular bits of information up on the web for everyone to see - quickly and extremely easily.

The idea for using them for this project is to allow some of the archaeologists to post their thoughts and findings on here as the excavations progress at the Amphitheatre site.

This will hopefully allow for more frequent and up to date news being published than we are currently able to provide.

As you wait for the first posts have a look at the archaeologists at work via our live webcam.