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RICHBOROUGH ROMAN AMPHITEATRE

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The earthwork remains of the Roman amphitheatre associated with the Saxon Shore fort at Richborough. The fort was built in the later third century to dominate and protect the Wantsum Channel that separated the Isle of Thanet from the mainland. Both the fort and the amphitheatre are located on a former island, with the latter at the highest and most visible point. The relationship of the amphitheatre to the fort is unclear, although it has been postulated that it was a later Roman construction built on the fringes of the settlement surrounding the military base at the main entry point into Britain.

It survives as an elliptical hollow, about 60 metres by 50 metres, measuring 3 metres deep. The hollow is surrounded by a bank 12 metres wide and up to 2 metres high. Excavations in 1849 uncovered three entrances and it appeared to date from the late 3rd century AD and have been occupied until the early 5th century AD. The remains of the amphitheatre were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Richborough Environs Project. The results of geophysical surveys indicated that the remains of the amphitheatre are much larger and more complex than those recorded in1849. The ellipse now appears more likely to have been the wall separating the arena from the cavea, the latter being unexcavated. In addition to locating the amphitheatre structure the surveys identified the probable presence of buildings alongside, especially in the north-east part of the field. The relationship of these to the amphitheatre is unknown. The traces of a World War II gun pit excavated into the south east bank of the amphitheatre were also noted. The amphitheatre is now in the care of English Heritage.

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[TR 32055981] ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE [R] (Site of) (1)

The Roman amphitheatre site about 460 yds SW of Richborough Castle was excavated in 1849 by Smith who found the perimeter wall to be elliptical in plan, 200 ft by 166 ft axis. Entrances were on the N, S and W. (2)

The site of the Roman amphitheatre, now under cultivation, consists of a large oval depression with slight traces of banking on the E and W sides. Published 25" survey correct. (3)

To the S of the fortress four sites have produced structural relics of importance. On the highest part of the hill 450 yds from the fortress (to the SW) are the buried remains of a small amphitheatre (see x on illustration card no 1). This has been known and recognised since Leland, who says that in his time, it was called Little Borough. Roach Smith partially excavated it in 1849. It proved to be elliptical in shape, measuring 166 ft by 200 ft, and enclosed by a flint wall 3.5 ft thick (see illustration card no 2). Faced on the outside with local chalk and on the inside with mortar. From the bottom of the inner face of this wall a bed of mortar or cement 2 in thick, spread 15ft towards the centre of the arena, while on this bed and against the wall rested a sloping bank of mixed clay and mortar 8 ft long at the bottom and 7ft high at its highest -perhaps a support for wooden seats. Lastly, three entrances were identified, a large one on the N and two smaller ones on the S and W. On the ruined wall of the western entrance a skeleton was found "lying on its left side, the legs drawn up and the wrists crossing each other. The place had evidently been hollowed out for its reception: most of the bones of the hands and feet were wanting; but, where the right hand had been, a brass coin of Constans was found". This was a post-Roman burial, possibly of an executed criminal. The general date of the amphitheatre may be indicated by the fact that "the coins found among the ruins are confined to the period extending from the time of Gallienus to that of Arcadius, with the exception of one of earlier date- a denarius of Domitian". The period thus suggested is that of the Saxon-shore fortress, and it may be found on further exploration that the amphitheatre was the work of the garrison - the Second Legion - which had long possessed a servicable amphitheatre at its former station, Caerleon. (4)

See illustration card. (5)

Description of an aerial photograph of Richborough showing Roman amphitheatre. (6)

A Saxon Shore fort, Roman port and associated remains at Richborough. (7)

The earthwork/cropmark remains of the eroded/plough-levelled Roman amphitheatre described above were mapped at 1:2500 scale from aerial photographs as part of a multi-disciplinary project (Richborough Environs Project) initiated by English Heritage CfA. The site is located circa 340m to the south west of the Roman fort and appears as an oval enclosure, measuring approximately 80m x 95m, defined by a broad embankment broken by the two entrances to the north-east and south-west. Both entrances are defined by a pronounced thickening and outward bulging of the enclosing embankment. On either side of the embankment, mid-way between the two entrances there appears to be a sub-circular pit or depression cut into the bank of the amphitheatre. It is not clear what these two features represent but they were also noted during the geophysical survey carried out for the project in 2001 by English Heritage Centre for Archaeology. The traces of a World War II gun pit excavated into the SE bank of the amphitheatre were also noted. The mound has been badly eroded by ploughing, but was in very much its present condition when recorded on photographs taken in 1942 and has been under pasture for much of the twentieth century hopefully ensuring no further erosion of the site will occur. (8) (9)

A ground penetrating radar survey carried out in 2001 provided complimentary data to other geophysical surveys. In particular features of the amphitheatre that were near the surface were resolved with more clarity than previously. There were some technical difficulties in as much as that at this site the radar pentration was attenuated, only substantial structures would thus have been picked up, making it difficult to rule out the possible presence of ephemeral structures that may have predated the amphitheatre. (10)

Geophysical surveys of approximately 2.4ha were conducted over the site of the Roman amphitheatre at Richborough, Kent. This lies approximately 600m SW of the Roman fort built in the later third century to dominate and protect the Wantsum Channel that separated the Isle of Thanet from the mainland. Both the fort and the amphitheatre are located on a former island, with the latter at the highest and most visible point. The relationship of the amphitheatre to the fort is unclear, although it has been postulated that it was a later Roman construction built on the fringes of the settlement surrounding the military base at the main entry point into Britain. Current knowledge of the amphitheatre is inadequate and stems from excavations by a Mr Rolfe in 1849. However, the contemporary account of this, and the other 'entrances', is difficult to understand; and in particular the orientation and character of the entrances cannot easily be matched with the geophysical evidence to be described below. There are no accurate site plans and despite the obvious topography of the field (a raised mound with circular depression in the centre), the location of the walls and supposed entrances remained unknown until the present survey. All the techniques applied were successful in producing a series of complementary and informative data-sets. The results of these surveys indicate that the remains of the amphitheatre are much larger and more complex than those recorded by Rolfe. The only measurements that roughly correlate are those for the main dimensions of the 'ellipse' though this was attributed to the exterior rather than interior of the amphitheatre. The ellipse now appears more likely to have been the wall separating the arena from the cavea, the latter being untouched by Rolfe's investigations. The resistivity data is suggestive, furthermore, of a complex site history - perhaps of more than one phase. In addition to locating the amphitheatre structure the surveys have helped identify the probable presence of buildings alongside, especially in the NE part of the field. The relationship of these to the amphitheatre - whether they abut or underlie it - cannot be determined from the geophysical data alone. (11)

A brief history and description. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

25" 1958

( 2) CR SMITH 1950 ANTIQUITIES OF RICHBOROUGH

Antiquities of Richborough...1850 (CR Smith) Page(s)52-3, 161-72

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 FGA 10-JUN-64

( 4) edited by William Page 1932 The Victoria history of the county of Kent, volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)24-41

( 5) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

(G Dowker) 18, 1889 Page(s)6-14

( 6) Society for Promotion of Roman Studies The journal of Roman studies

(JK St Joseph) 55, 1965 Page(s)88

( 7) Scheduled Monument Notification

10-JUL-96

(8) by J K St Joseph Cambridge University collection of aerial photographs catalogue, parts 1-6; parts 7-12; 13-17 & accessions list, 1

CUCAP (AFL 13, 18) 14-JUN-1962

(9) FIONA SMALL 2002 Richborough environs project, Kent : report on the aerial photographic transcription and analysis

(10) Neil Linford 2001 Richborough apmphitheatre, Kent: report on ground penetrating radar survey, July 2001

Centre for Archaeology Report series 110/2001

(11) Centre for Archaeology Report series

'Richborough Amphitheatre, Kent. Report on geophysical surveys, February 2001', by L Martin 30/2001

(12) English Heritage 2005 Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East

Page(s)41

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