Portchester Castle Research Articles

‘Whole Shew and Spectacle’: French Prisoner-of-War Theatre in England During the Napoleonic Era

During the Napoleonic wars there were tens of thousands of French prisoners of war (POWs) in Britain. Whether out on parole or held in prisons or on prison hulks, theatre was a common feature of their experiences. This article compares and contrasts the on-board theatricals that POWs performed on the hulks, in the purpose-built theatre at Portchester Castle and those put on by officers held on parole in towns across the country. In so doing, it explores the extent to which theatre was perceived by the prisoners as a particularly French response to difficult circumstances and as a conduit for reinforcing their national identity as well as creating a temporary sense of community with ‘the enemy’, that is to say British guards and civilians watching performances.

Nutrient cycling potential within microbial communities on culturally important stoneworks.

SummaryPrevious studies on microbes associated with deterioration of cultural heritage (CH) stoneworks have revealed a diverse microbiota adapted to stresses such as low nutrients, aridity and high salinity, temperatures and radiation. However, the function of these pioneer microbial communities is still unclear. This study examines bacterial and archaeal diversity in exfoliated and dark encrustation sandstone from Portchester Castle (UK) by 16S rRNA and functional gene analyses. Bacterial and archaeal communities from the exfoliated sites were distinctly different from the dark encrustation. Detected genera were linked to extreme environmental conditions, various potential functional roles and degradation abilities. From these data it was possible to reconstruct almost complete nitrogen and sulfur cycles, as well as autotrophic carbon fixation and mineral transformation processes. Analysis of RNA showed that many of the detected genera in these nutrient cycles were probably active in situ. Thus, CH stonework microbial communities are highly diverse and potentially self‐sustaining ecosystems capable of cycling carbon, nitrogen and sulfur as well as the stone biodeterioration processes that lead to alterations such as exfoliation and corrosion. These results highlight the importance of diversity and internal recycling capacity in the development of microbial communities in harsh and low energy systems.

Diversity of archaeal and bacterial communities on exfoliated sandstone from Portchester Castle (UK)

In this study exfoliated sandstone samples from Portchester Castle were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion X-ray (EDX) analyses to observe stone surface colonisation, geomorphological structure and to assess damage. Archaeal and bacterial diversity were assessed using cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods. SEM analysis showed that sandstone had high levels of stone decay. There was considerable weathering of the minerals associated with biofilms containing microbes with various cellular morphologies. Microorganisms were especially prevalent in pores, cavities and in the heavily decayed parts of the minerals, and some etching was seen. EDX analyses indicated microbes were associated with the sheet structures of aluminium-containing phyllosilicate minerals, most likely glauconite. Microbial colonisation was preferentially concentrated within specific sheets of the mineral structure. Isolation studies revealed the presence of Bacillus and Arthrobacter that appeared to be well adapted to “extreme” environments, specifically these isolates were tolerant to high salt, high UV and oligotrophic conditions. Cultivation-independent studies using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene fragments showed a more complex community. Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Deinococcus, α- and β-proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes and halophilic Archaea from the family Halobacteriaceae, were the predominant types of Bacteria and Archaea detected respectively.

The strange disappearances of James Lind

The strange disappearances of James Lind

Investigations of the localisation of bacterial activity on sandstone from ancient monuments

Methods were investigated for the determination of activity levels of bacteria on sandstone using the reduction of 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4 nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride (INT) to INT-formazan as a measure of dehydrogenase activity. A microscopy technique, based on use of acridine orange with bright-field illumination, was developed which gave a good visual image of bacterial cells, including those containing INT-formazan. Surveys at two monuments, Portchester Castle and Tintern Abbey, were carried out using this method which showed that between 20.7 and 51.9% of bacterial cells present in situ were active. Extraction of INT-formazan directly from the stone using methanol indicated that bacteria were tightly bound to stone particles and that microscopic methods would underestimate counts of bacteria. Surveys of five monuments using the extraction method showed that microbial populations on sandstone in situ were active but activity could not be related to decay state of the stone.

Enhancement of physical weathering of building stones by microbial populations

Two limestones from Crete, Greece and a dolomite from Mansfield, UK were subjected to combined microbial and physical weathering simulation cycles, in an attempt to assess the contribution of each agent of decay. Sound stone discs were exposed to different temperature and wet/dry cycling regimes involving treatment with distilled water or solutions of sodium chloride or sodium sulphate. Before the weathering cycles, half of the discs were inoculated with mixed microbial populations (MMP), originally recovered from decayed building stone of Portchester Castle, Hampshire, UK. The presence of MMP greatly accelerated the rates of deterioration of stone of all treatments, measured by weight change and alteration of hydraulic properties of stone. A combination of physical and biological processes significantly enhanced the extent of decay when compared with the physical or biological agents acting alone. Populations of heterotrophic, sulphur-utilising, halotolerant and moderately halophilic bacterial populations remained large throughout the experiment. Biofilms formed by populations of microorganisms were visualised by staining and assessed by colorimetric measurement of total carbohydrate in the stone substrate. The relative contribution of microbial and physical weathering to the process is discussed.

Passive monitoring for museum showcase pollutants

Abstract Metal test strips provide a useful visual indication of whether corrosive substances are present in museum showcases. These can be complemented by passive diffusion tubes to give a more quantitative idea of the rate of production or ingress of pollutants. Reference is made to three sites where these techniques have been used: the Waterloo Diorama at Dover Castle, Corbridge Museum on Hadrian's Wall, and Portchester Castle.

Excavations at Portchester Castle, 4: Medieval, the Inner Bailey. Barry Cunliffe , Julian Munby

<i>Excavations at Portchester Castle, 4: Medieval, the Inner Bailey</i>. Barry Cunliffe , Julian Munby

Excavations at Portchester Castle. VOLUME IV:medieval, the inner bailey. By BarryCunliffeand JulianMunby

Excavations at Portchester Castle. VOLUME IV:<scp>medieval, the inner bailey</scp>. By B<scp>arry</scp>C<scp>unliffe</scp>and J<scp>ulian</scp>M<scp>unby</scp>

Excavations at Portchester Castle, II: Saxon. Barry Cunliffe

<i>Excavations at Portchester Castle, II: Saxon</i>. Barry Cunliffe

Barry Cunliffe: Excavations at Portchester Castle: Vol. I: Roman. London: Society of Antiquaries, distributed by Thames and Hudson, 1975. 469 pp., 40 pl., 222 figs. (16 folders), £12.00.

Barry Cunliffe: Excavations at Portchester Castle: Vol. I: Roman. London: Society of Antiquaries, distributed by Thames and Hudson, 1975. 469 pp., 40 pl., 222 figs. (16 folders), £12.00. - Volume 51 Issue 202

TREE‐RING EXAMINATION OF TIMBERS FROM THE SIXTH‐CENTURY WELL AT PORTCHESTER CASTLE

ArchaeometryVolume 18, Issue 1 p. 92-99 TREE-RING EXAMINATION OF TIMBERS FROM THE SIXTH-CENTURY WELL AT PORTCHESTER CASTLE J. M. FLETCHER, J. M. FLETCHER Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, EnglandSearch for more papers by this authorA. DABROWSKA, A. DABROWSKA Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, EnglandSearch for more papers by this author J. M. FLETCHER, J. M. FLETCHER Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, EnglandSearch for more papers by this authorA. DABROWSKA, A. DABROWSKA Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, EnglandSearch for more papers by this author First published: February 1976 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4754.1976.tb00148.xCitations: 3AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume18, Issue1February 1976Pages 92-99 RelatedInformation

Imported Pottery from Germany in Late Roman Britain

With the exception of stamped, red-slipped wares from the Argonne region of France, pottery imported from the Continent into late Roman Britain has received little attention. The object of this paper is to define and describe some types in Britain which appear to have originated in Germany. The vessels were first recognised during preparation of reports on Roman pottery from the Wallbrook, London, and Portchester Castle, Hampshire, and the closest parallels were to be found in the Rhineland. Petrological examination of these sherds in thin section and by heavy mineral analysis has defined two main categories of fabric, which accord geologically with the postulated origin. Further research in site- and museum-collections indicated the chronological and geographical distribution of these types in England: stratigraphical evidence, where available, points to a fourth-century date for importation, although in the Rhineland many of the forms originated in the late second and third centuries.

Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1969–1971: Fourth Interim Report

SummaryThe three seasons of excavation 1969–71 have provided details of occupation lasting continuously from the third century until the nineteenth century. In the Roman period cobbled streets and timber buildings, pits and wells have been excavated but they show little sign of rigid planning. The streets continued to be used in the fifth and sixth century when huts of post-built and grubenhaus type were constructed. Some parts of the interior were now ploughed.In the eighth and ninth centuries timber buildings, storage pits, and cess pits were concentrated in one area close to the south wall of the Roman fort. Near by a well, constantly used from the Roman period and subsequently relined with timber, was abandoned and used as a rubbish tip. Some additional buildings and pits belonging to the ‘hall complex’ of late Saxon date were found. Medieval features included boundary ditches, a lime kiln and slaking pit, and a timber building. Some areas of the interior were cultivated throughout this time.In the early sixteenth century a large store building was erected in masonry: it was demolished late in the sixteenth century. Thereafter the fort was used as a prison camp until the early nineteenth century. Various features of this period were found.The Landgate was further excavated bringing to light structural details of Roman, Saxon, and medieval date. Limited excavation in the priory exposed details of the claustral buildings.

The Tudor Store-House at Portchester Castle, Hampshire

The Tudor Store-House at Portchester Castle, Hampshire

The Saxon Culture-Sequence at Portchester Castle

SummaryExcavations at Portchester Castle have produced evidence of occupation throughout the Saxon period. After the cessation of standard Roman wares and local hand-made types early in the fifth century two Grubenhäuser were built. The contemporary assemblage, assignable to the mid fifth century, included (?) imported carinated bowls and local hand-made grass-tempered wares made in the Roman tradition. Late in the fifth or early in the sixth century stamped Saxon urns appear and probably continue, alongside the grass-tempered tradition, into the seventh century. An association of a grass-tempered pot with an imported glass vessel of eighth-century date shows that the local tradition persisted, but by the middle of the eighth century hand-made jars in gritty fabrics, like those from Hamwih, appear in a substantial rubbish deposit which belongs to the initial occupation of the hall complex. By the tenth century a new style of wheel-thrown pottery, called here Portchester ware, is dominant. It is mass produced and distributed largely from the Isle of Wight to central Hampshire and from the Sussex border to the River Mean. Contemporary forms include imported wares, green-glazed pitchers, pots from the Chichester region, and an assemblage made in a wheel-made continuation of the local gritty-fabric tradition. Portchester ware had gone out of use by 1100 at the latest.

Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants 1966–1968: Third Interim Report

SummaryThe area-excavation towards the centre of the fort has shown that well-defined traces of occupation exist, ranging from the Roman period to the early nineteenth century. The nature of the Roman occupation, though still uncertain in many aspects, is becoming much clearer and can now be divided into phases tentatively linked to a broad historical framework. Early in the fifth century settlement of Germanic type appeared, with which was associated a gilded bronze disc of apparently sub-Roman form. Then followed more regular Saxon occupation, beginning in the late fifth or early sixth century and probably continuing to the eighth or ninth century. The late Saxon period provides a very detailed picture of a hall with its ancillary buildings, land boundaries, and rubbish-tipping area, all of considerable potential significance on more than a local scale. The later periods are more sporadically represented, but interesting correlations can be made between the archaeological evidence and contemporary documentary and graphic accounts.To understand the internal landscape of the fort more clearly it is evident that much more of the central area will have to be fully excavated and this will occupy most of the effort throughout the next five seasons' work. At the same time it is planned to continue with the investigations of the Priory and the Castle, and to devote some time to the outstanding problem of the defences.

Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1963–5. Second Interim Report

The present series of excavations at Portchester Castle have continued annually since they began in 1961. The first part of this work, covering the period from 1961 to Easter 1963, having already been described, it is the purpose of the present report to summarize the results obtained since then. In June 1963, following the demolition of the custodian's house, Mr. A. B. Norton cut a section through the ditch system of the Roman fort. In the following Easter the outer earthwork was examined and a trial area excavated within the fort in order to study the nature of the stratigraphy and to examine the particular problems involved in excavating the interior. Once the information had been obtained area excavation began in the Easter of 1965. At the same time a site outside the north wall of the fort was examined for the Ministry of Public Building and Works prior to the erection of a public lavatory and changing-rooms; limited trenching was also carried out in the Inner Bailey. The work was undertaken with the active cooperation of the Ministry of Public Building and Works and was financed by grants from the Society of Antiquaries, the Libraries and Museum Committee of the Portsmouth City Council, the Haverfield Trustees, the Joint Archaeological Committee, and by several private donations.

Excavations at Portchester Castle, Hants, 1961–3. First Interim Report

Portchester Castle remained untouched by archaeologists until the Office of Works took charge of the site in 1926. From that date until 1938 tidying up operations were carried out, entailing the excavation of moats and the general lowering of the ground level within the Inner Bailey. In 1956 Mr. R. Robertson-Mackay, on behalf of the Ministry of Works, supervised the digging of a trial trench, to the south of the present road, across the line of the second Roman ditch outside the west wall of the fort. In June and July 1961, the writer excavated an area, 100 ft. by 30 ft., against the inside of the west wall, to the south of the Landgate, the work being organized by the Ministry of Works as a rescue excavation prior to the proposed construction of a changing-room and lavatory. The site was later considered to be unsuitable for such a structure, but it was decided to conduct further excavations, the first phase of which (Easter 1962—Easter 1963) was designed to examine the Roman defences. The work was carried out with the co-operation of the Ministry of Public Building and Works and was financed by grants from the Libraries and Museums Committee of the Portsmouth City Council, the Hampshire Field Club, and the Joint Archaeological Committee.

A Roman gateway at Portchester Castle?

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