The Silchester Field School. Archaeological Methods. Iron Age olives and pampered pets. Jul 20, 2012 Articles, News 0 Ongoing excavations at Silchester, Hamps., (CA 250) have uncovered the first evidence that Britain’s inhabitants were enlivening their meals with Mediterranean flavours before the Roman conquest – including Britain’s first Iron Age olive. Previously it was believed that only liquids such as olive oil and wine were imported across the Channel in the Iron Age. But now University of Reading archaeologists have found celery and coriander seeds – used as seasoning – and an olive stone at the bottom of a late Iron Age well, all pre-dating AD 43.
Another well yielded a celery seed from the same period, and several dill seeds dating to c.AD 40-50. ‘Topics such as global food trade, food security and self-sufficiency may seem like issues only for the present day, but this unique discovery shows just how sophisticated Britain’s trade in food and global links were, even before the Romans colonised in the first century AD,’ said project leader Prof. Featured inShare0. Reading Museum • Silchester - The Roman town of Calleva.
Silchester from the East, by Alan Sorrell (Crown copyright) object no. 1975.37.1 The Silchester Collection consists of a wealth of items from the Roman town of Calleva, near Silchester, in Hampshire. The Revd J.G Joyce excavated on the site from 1864 to 1878 and discovered the Silchester Eagle. The Society of Antiquaries' excavations uncovered the whole area within the town walls between 1890 and 1909.
These things belonged to rich and poor, old and young and no project on life in Roman Britain is complete without reference to Calleva and its objects. The Collection also throws light on the development of archaeological techniques. Reading Borough Council does not necessarily endorse or recommend any of the links or services above. Silchester - Late Roman Insula IX. The Insula IX excavation. The Town Life project is an ongoing excavation of one block of the Silchester Roman Town by the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading.
This block is called Insula IX. Our choice of Insula IX was determined by a number of factors. Recent aerial photography and geophysical survey had shown that more buildings existed here than had been originally identified by the Victorian excavators in 1893. [ View ] The Antiquaries' plan of Silchester. [ View ] Insula IX showing cropmarks in green and the area of the current excavation. There were also apparently 'blank' areas, where neither the excavation of 1893 nor subsequent aerial survey had revealed structural remains. Who's in charge? Michael Fulford - Project director and Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading. Amanda Clarke - directs the Field School and co-directs the excavation. In 2002 the project reached the end of its sixth, six-week season of excavation.