Phill Brant-Simmons explores some of the finds from the excavation of a building dating from 70AD
Between 2008-2013 Oxford Archaeology undertook a large excavation at the site of Kingshill (Kingshill South) just to the east of Cirencester. It lies outside of the line of the town walls of Roman Corinium and the archaeologists found a Roman building that showed evidence of people living there from as early as 70AD right up to the 4th century.
The cavalry fort, out of which Cirencester grew, was founded around 46AD and the earliest buildings in the town appeared from around 70AD. This would mean that this lone building on the outskirts of Corinium was one of the earliest buildings in the town. This provides a unique insight into what life must have been like for the people living here outside of the main town, caught between city life and the untamed wilderness beyond.
We’ve put out a new temporary display, with the help of recent work experience student Eleanor, to show two aspects of this settlement. One is trade, represented by three lead weights that were used by traders on weighing scales. Much of Roman trade was based on the weight of the goods being bought and sold. What interests me about these weights is how they conform to Roman standards, which tells us that, even at the edges of the Roman Empire in places such as Britain, these standards were still being used to keep trade fair.
The other aspect is looking at dress, through a lot of brooches. The archaeologists found a huge number of brooches at Kingshill South from all periods of Roman occupation. These brooches cover a range styles, such as Polden Hill types, Hod Hill types, and a rare “Eagle and Hare” type brooch. Brooches were very common in the Roman period and, through their variety and decoration, the owners were able to express themselves through personal style.
If you would like to see any of these Roman finds for yourself, come along to the museum to take a look at the case in our main Roman gallery by the Seasons Mosaic.
