The Archaeology of Roman London Volume 3 CBA Research Report 88
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The archaeology of Roman London Volume 3 CBA Research Report 88 Public Buildings in the South-West Quarter of Roman London Tim Williams 1993 The archaeology of Roman London, Volume 3: Public Buildings in the South-West Quarter of Roman London by Tim Williams With contributions by: Ian Betts, Barbara Davies, Jennifer Hillam and Peter Marsden Illustrations by Majella Egan 1993 Published by the Museum of London and CBA Research Report 88 the Council for British Archaeology Erratum: The front cover reconstruction painting is by Peter Froste and not by Martin Bentley as stated on page iv. Published 1993 by the Council for British Archaeology 112 Kennington Rd, London SE11 6RE Copyright A 1993 Museum of London and the Council for British Archaeology All rights reserved British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue for this book is available from the British Library ISSN 0589-9036 ISBN 0 906780 98 5 Printed by Derry and Sons Limited, Canal Street, Nottingham The post-excavation analysis, research and writing of this report was financed by English Heritage. The publishers acknowledge with gratitude a grant from English Heritage towards the cost of publication. Front cover: The Period II complex under construction in the late 3rd century; looking northwards, with the Riverside Mall in the foreground. All the main elements in this monumental building project can be clearly seen: the oak foundation piles, the overlying chalk raft, and the massive blocks of the superstructure. (Illustration by Martin Bentley) v Contents List of figures ............................................................................................................................ viii List of plates ............................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... X Summary ................................................................................................................................... Xl Résumé ..................................................................................................................................... xii Zusammenfassung ..................................................................................................................... xiii Drawing conventions ................................................................................................................. xiv Part I: Introduction Previous work in the area .......................................................................................................... 1 Organisation of the report .......................................................................................................... 3 Geological and topographical background .................................................................................. 6 Part II: Discussion 1. The Period I complex (?1st to the 3rd century) 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 The construction of the complex ...................................................................................... 7 1.3 Layout ............................................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Extent .............................................................................................................................. 8 1.5 Dating ............................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 8 2. The Period II complex (late 3rd century) 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 The riverside wall .............................................................................................................. 13 The construction of a riverside wall ................................................................................ 13 Dumping to the north of the riverside wall ..................................................................... 13 2.3 The construction of the complex ....................................................................................... 14 Terracing ....................................................................................................................... 14 The main foundations .................................................................................................... 14 Raising the ground level within the complex ................................................................... 17 The ground to the west of the complex .......................................................................... 19 Drainage ........................................................................................................................ 20 2.4 Construction methods and their parallels ........................................................................... 21 Timber piles supporting a chalk raft ............................................................................... 21 The use of a second chalk raft with horizontal timber framing ........................................ 21 Re-used blocks within the masonry foundations .............................................................. 24 2.5 Layout ............................................................................................................................... 24 2.6 Extent ............................................................................................................................... 26 2.7 Dating ............................................................................................................................... 27 2.8 The intended appearance of the complex ........................................................................... 27 2.9 The function of the Period II complex .............................................................................. 28 Baths and temples .......................................................................................................... 29 Administrative buildings ................................................................................................. 30 Late Roman ‘palaces’ ...................................................................................................... 30 Historical context ........................................................................................................... 31 2.10 The end of the Period II complex and later Roman activity ............................................. 32 3. Discussion: the south-west quarter - development and context 33 vi Part III: the archaeological evidence 4. Peter’s Hill 4.1 The Site .............................................................................................................................. 39 4.2 The Excavation ................................................................................................................... 39 Early activity .................................................................................................................... 39 Construction of a riverside wall and terracing activities to the. north ................................. 39 Consolidation of the western area of the site .................................................................... 40 Timber piling ................................................................................................................... 43 Chalk raft ........................................................................................................................ 43 Timber-framing and a second chalk raft ........................................................................... 44 Masonry foundation ......................................................................................................... 45 Scaffolding, construction debris and weathering ............................................................... 48 Dumping to the east and west of the main foundation, and terracing to the north ........... 48 Late Roman timber building ............................................................................................ 51 Disuse and robbing of the structures ................................................................................ 51 4.3 Dating discussion ................................................................................................................ 52 Early activity .................................................................................................................... 53 Riverside wall and dumping against its northern face ....................................................... 53 Construction of the complex ............................................................................................ 53 The derivation of the Group 2 dumps and variations in the pottery assemblages .............. 54 The late Roman building and the disuse of the Period II complex ................................... 56 Robbing of the Period II foundations ............................................................................... 56 5. Sunlight Wharf 5.1 The Site ...................................................................................................................