Roman Canterbury - undisturbed stratigraphy revealed
The redevelopment of the Beaney Institute in Canterbury includes the construction of a large cellared extension at the rear. Canterbury Archaeological Trust has just completed an excavation there which revealed one of the best preserved sequences of Roman occupation recorded in Canterbury. Situated immediately adjacent to the forum and one of the principal Roman roads, the site was clearly likely to produce interesting results, and did not disappoint.
The main excavation area was small, only 13 by 10 metres, but after removal of 750mm of modern overburden a virtually undisturbed sequence of Roman stratigraphy, ranging from 1.25 to 1.75 metres deep, was discovered. The site was dug to the formation level of the new building, and also the safe working depth of the sheet piling. A further 900mm of very early post conquest levelling and metalling deposits was seen to survive beneath this.
The corner of a substantial masonry building, with surviving walls 3m and 8m long extending beyond the excavation boundary, was excavated. Initial indications are that this is of an unusually early Roman date. A later extension formed a portico fronting the road; outside the building was a metalled courtyard. This early masonry building was followed by a sequence of at least a dozen more ephemeral timber buildings. One of these contained an oven with sheep jaw bones strewn on the
surrounding floor. Fine painted plaster was recovered from levelling deposits amongst this sequence of buildings.
A later building that had evidently been destroyed by fire contained the remains of a timber floor. It appears that the early metalled courtyard was later covered by various timber buildings, so that ultimately only a small part of it survived as a lane running parallel with the main road. This lane was cut by late Roman buildings and an Anglo-Saxon grubenhaus.
There were a number of medieval pits cutting the Roman deposits and first indications are that most of these are early (c twelfth century) with little later activity occurring until the eighteenth century. The pits produced an excellent assemblage of pottery and two cresset lamps as well as several high quality items of worked bone.
The Beaney Institute was built on the site of two inns, the Greyhound and the George and Dragon, a coaching inn with a documented history going back to 1692.
A collection of fine eighteenth century stoneware tankards quite likely came from these establishments.
Mick Diack
Canterbury Archaeological Trust