Archaeologists Put Roman Gateway on Wishlist After Finding Ancient Water Tank at Vindolanda Fort

5/28/2015 Archaeologists put Roman gateway on wishlist after finding ancient water tank at Vindolanda fort | Culture24

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Archaeologists put Romangateway on wishlist after findingancient water tank atVindolanda fort

By Ben Miller Published: 18 May 2015

Northumberland, excavation, site, find, discovery, ceremonial (archeaology),

settlement (archaeology), roman archaeology, Roman, regiment

Fine carving for Roman goddess of hunting and firstcopper lock barrel in 34 years among finds in Romannorth-east

Archaeologists are hoping to find a gate and its stone inscription afterdiscovering tank features, buildings, a roadway, animal bones, pens, hairpinsand barrels during the first two excavation sessions of the year atVindolanda, the Roman fort near Hadrians Wall.

Facing snow and torrential rain during their early investigations conditionsthey admit were horrendous the team uncovered a free-standing watertank and a depiction of a hare and hound carved for Diana, the goddess ofhunting.

Vindolanda Trust



The fates smiled during their most recent work, as warmth and sunshineaided the discovery of pottery, roman coins and the first copper alloy lockbarrel to emerge at the site since 1981.

The excavators concentrated on the water tank feature and the roadssurrounding it, says Andrew Birley, the Director of Excavations at theformer auxiliary facilities.

They managed to complete the task of excavating the tank down to itsflagged floor, removing the rubbish, fill and facing stones which had beenpitched into the tank after its abandonment.

These would have carried the large flag stones which were to eventuallycover the feature entirely.

A Roman finger ring found at the site

Vindolanda Trust



This excavation area produced a great deal of animal bone, pottery and afew Roman coins which will all help to determine at which point thebackfilling took place.

To the south of the water tank another Roman building started to revealitself and this helped to define both the 3rd and 4th century western edges ofthe via decumana roadway.

The road was made much broader in the 4th century and extended out afurther three metres to the west, perhaps to accommodate the people usingthe later 4th century cavalry barracks.

Vindolanda Trust



Most recently, the dig found a fine stone cut water channel on the westernside of the roadway, although a similar feature on the opposite flank seems tohave been removed by house dwellers or a cohort involved in one of the finalrebuilds of the last stone fort.

The earlier road is magnificent and it is hoped that as the excavationscontinue to the south, the south gateway of the Antonine fort will revealitself, anticipates Birley.

On our wishlist is the large stone building inscription that would have onceadorned the gate, which hopefully remains somewhere nearby.

A bead brooch with gold leaf

Vindolanda Trust



Initially encountered at the end of last year, Birley describes the water tankas the greatest discovery of the work, encased by an outer wall which set itat the centre of a temple or shrine.

The team focused on locating the north and south walls, defining a headertank at the east and exposing the full extent of the main tank itself to thewest, says Birley.

The building would have been accessed from the road to the east, althoughone can imagine that most may have not been permitted to enter.

An eagle blade terminal

Vindolanda Trust



"Instead, they could have obtained their water from the small header tank infront of the building and been restricted to looking into the temple to see araised platform at the back, perhaps with the effigy of the god or goddessreflected in the water below.

The temple fell out of use and modifications to the structure only retainedthe tank as a utilitarian water feature.

Eventually this too was discarded and abandoned, to be filled in with finefacing stones and rubble before flag stones covered over its form theoriginal purpose perhaps utterly forgotten.

It is beside this building, re-used as a simple building stone, that a finecarving of a hare and hound was discovered.

A likely source for such a hunting scene may have been a temple to Diana,the goddess of hunting.

Visit the excavation blog for more.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

A 3D model of the water tank with capping flagstones on top

Vindolanda Trust



More from Culture24's coverage of Vindolanda:

Archaeologists find 2,000-year-old wooden toilet seat used byRomans at Vindolanda fort

Archaeologists hail "magical moment" as rare Roman gold coinfound at Vindolanda

Service personnel to help archaeologists as year of excavations atVindolanda Roman fort begins

Vindolanda's Roman toilet seat inspires manufacturer to makenew Thunderbox loo seatMore on the venues and organisations we've mentioned:

Roman Vindolanda and The Roman Army Museum

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Archaeologists Put Roman Gateway on Wishlist After Finding Ancient Water Tank at Vindolanda Fort

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