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just as it had fallen). Other remains of this phase of occupation included a poorly-laid concrete floor surface and a re-used inscription, which was one of our most exciting finds. This stone, recording earlier building work under a chief centurion (primus pilus) called Flavius Rufus, may have been part of the collapsed wall. These various elements paint a confusing picture of a time in which much seems to have changed from the early imperial period, but with some continuities – particularly the floor and likely reuse of some warehouse walls. The final phase in the sequence was another building erected on top of the ruins of the intermediate stone buildings. To this belonged the rough flagstone floor around the slab-lined bin, which may have been for grain-storage or animal feed. No walls survived of this structure, which were probably timber. Although we cannot date either of these phases at the moment (pending radiocarbon results will help), we know that they fit between the end of the Roman warehouse and the 14th century, when a large pit, cutting through all earlier remains, was dug on the site. At the very least then, we have found important new evidence for Medieval Caerleon. “ The possibility that some of these developments fall within the Roman period, however, holds exciting potential for re-writing the story of the end of Isca. ” The possibility that some of these developments fall within the Roman period, however, holds exciting potential for re-writing the story of the end of Isca. The relaid flagstone entrance-way may belong to the 3rd or 4th century, and represents alterations perhaps carried out by legionaries who were still using this building for storage. After a period of abandonment, the later stone buildings could be a new storage or residential complex, built by a relatively organised group of people. If this did reuse or respect some Roman walls, as we suspect, then the abandonment did not last too long, and this is likely to have been erected in the very late Roman or early Medieval period. The roughly flagged timber building was probably a cowshed and its use probably dates to after AD 1000, but as it belongs to a period when Left Inscription being lifted by Anna Gow. iversity/UCL iff Un : Card PHOTO 36 archaeologycurrent 226

Caerleon iversity/UCL iff Un : Card PHOTO Left The broken flagstone surface of the latest building. This photograph is taken from the same angle as the reconstruction image on P.33, and shows the 14th century pit excavated in three sections with the broken flagstone surface beyond. pottery was uncommon we are relying on guesswork. Even so, the discoveries of 2008 give us good evidence for the gradual transformation of this location from the bustling fortress of Isca to the rural community of Caerleon. The second season of excavations in Priory Field is planned for the summer of 2010. For more information about Roman Caerleon, its history and archaeology as well as more details about our work on the site, visit the Caerleon Research Committee website: www.cf.ac. uk/hisar/archaeology/crc/. ca Further information Andrew Gardner will be speaking about Caerleon at Archaeology Festival 2009 in Cardiff, 6-8 February 2009 Sources Andrew Gardner, Institute of Archaeology, UCL Dr Peter Guest, University of Cardiff Visit Caerleon during Archaeology Festival Cardif 2009: As part of our programme of events at the Archaeology Festival, we will be offering a tour of Caerleon on Friday, 6 February. Tour price is £15, leaving Cardiff by coach at 9:00am and returning at 5:00pm, with a packed lunch included. Guided by Dr Peter Guest and Dr Richard Brewer, the tour will take visitors up close to excavations completed as recently asthis past season. The first stop is at Caerwent, where Dr Richard Brewer (see Caerwent: a Roman Town on page 38.) will take us around the best-preserved surviving Roman walls in Britain and the excavated remains of the forum-basilica, the Romano-Celtic temple, an urban courtyard house, as well as the shops and houses of the Pound Lane site. In the afternoon we will continue on to Caerleon, where Dr Peter Guest will guide us through the ancient fortress, including the amphitheatre, Prysg Field barracks, the fortress baths and the National Roman Legion Museum. For more information about the tours and about the Festival, visit www.archaeology.co.uk and click on the Festival logo. Useful links: Road: Caerleon is on the B4236 off M4 junction, approximately 25.8km (16 miles) east of Cardiff. Rail: Main line services to Newport. For more vinformation on reaching Caerleon: CADW, the official Welsh government office website: www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/ Caerleon Tourist Office www.caerleon.net/intro/tourist.htm Visit our website www.ilovethepast.com to see what others have said about Caerleon - and add your own comments about your trip. archaeologycurrent 226 37

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just as it had fallen). Other remains of this phase of occupation included a poorly-laid concrete floor surface and a re-used inscription, which was one of our most exciting finds. This stone, recording earlier building work under a chief centurion (primus pilus) called Flavius Rufus, may have been part of the collapsed wall. These various elements paint a confusing picture of a time in which much seems to have changed from the early imperial period, but with some continuities – particularly the floor and likely reuse of some warehouse walls.

The final phase in the sequence was another building erected on top of the ruins of the intermediate stone buildings. To this belonged the rough flagstone floor around the slab-lined bin, which may have been for grain-storage or animal feed. No walls survived of this structure, which were probably timber. Although we cannot date either of these phases at the moment (pending radiocarbon results will help), we know that they fit between the end of the Roman warehouse and the 14th century, when a large pit, cutting through all earlier remains, was dug on the site. At the very least then, we have found important new evidence for Medieval Caerleon.

“

The possibility that some of these developments fall within the Roman period, however, holds exciting potential for re-writing the story of the end of Isca.

”

The possibility that some of these developments fall within the Roman period, however, holds exciting potential for re-writing the story of the end of Isca. The relaid flagstone entrance-way may belong to the 3rd or 4th century, and represents alterations perhaps carried out by legionaries who were still using this building for storage. After a period of abandonment, the later stone buildings could be a new storage or residential complex, built by a relatively organised group of people. If this did reuse or respect some Roman walls, as we suspect, then the abandonment did not last too long, and this is likely to have been erected in the very late Roman or early Medieval period. The roughly flagged timber building was probably a cowshed and its use probably dates to after AD 1000, but as it belongs to a period when

Left Inscription being lifted by Anna Gow.

iversity/UCL

iff Un

: Card

PHOTO

36

archaeologycurrent

226

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