Roman Yorkshire

Abstract

As progress is made in the excavation of the Roman villa at Rudston, six miles west of Bridlington in Yorkshire, it affords a more extended view of settled life under what has been termed the ‘signal-station’ system, which archaeological discovery in this area has revealed as a characteristic feature in the organisation of this section of Roman Britain. The site has now been under investigation for three seasons by a local committee in conjunction with the Roman Antiquities Committee of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, the excavation being in charge of Messrs. A. M. Woodward and K. A. Steer. Both coins and types of pottery point to an occupation of considerable duration, the former ranging from Domitian to Valens, and the latter including late first century, Samian, third century types from the Yorkshire pottery at Throlam and ‘signal-station’ types of the end of the fourth century. A system of pre-Roman ditches below the foundations may go back so far as the Bronze Age. An interesting building to the west of the residential block, discovered in 1934, which measures not less than 50 ft. by 22 ft., is now seen, according to a report of the latest results of excavation (The Times, Oct. 22), to have been used for a variety of purposes connected with the needs of the villa. Tesserae of sandstone not of local origin, and many chippings of chalk and tile, confirm the view suggested by earlier discoveries of chalk tesserae and red and blue tiles that it was a workshop for making and repairing mosaic flooring. Further, remains of no less than six ovens point to other uses not yet completely apparent. An early suggestion that they were part of the equipment for the manufacture of wool or for tanning has now been abandoned in favour of the view that they were for drying or roasting grain preparatory to grinding.