More information : (SE 7915 7178) Derventio Roman Fort (R) (1)
Report on the excavations carried out in 1927 on the fort's NE corner in Orchard Field and trial trenching in the SW corner. A possible annexe to the fort was found in the SE corner. (2)
P Corder identified various phases of occupation:- 1. A layer of destruction containing finds indicating pre-fort inhabitation of the site, presumably representing clearance before construction. 2. A timber fort built in the Flavian period, the NE gate was later partially rebuilt in stone, but work was halted for some reason, Agricola's Scottish campaigns? 3. The fort wall was rebuilt in stone early in the 2nd century. 4. This wall was rebuilt again in the late 2nd century, possibly the fort had not been fully garrisioned in the period 120-180 AD. This period of occupation lasted from c180-280 AD. 5. At the end of the 3rd century the fort was apparently cleared and surplus or decayed supplies burnt. After this parts of the fort appear to have been rebuilt using debris from earlier phases. The presence of infant burials under the floors of these buildings may indicate the presence of militia rather than regular troops. 6. The penultimate phase had poorly built buildings and a shoddy reconstruction of the NE gate; ascribed to the period of Theodosius, c370-95 AD. 7. The last phase, c395-400 AD, has no buildings; only road surfaces and earthwork defences cast up in front of the NE gate. (4)
Note on the excavations carried out in Orchard Field in 1931 when the rock cut ditch of a possible camp, predating the fort, was uncovered. (4)
Report on the small finds from the Roman fort at Malton including an Anglo-Saxon brooch. (5)
The possible annexe was sectioned in 1952 by D Smith and PDH Holman during MOW excavations. (6)
The earliest Roman occupation of this site is uncertain; the earthworks excavated could represent a fort, a camp or some other structure. The size of the fort suggests it may have held a legionary vexillation or a mixed force of legionaries and auxillaries. The fort may have been occupied by the Alae Picentiana in the 2nd century. (7)
The Roman fort at Malton, recorded by Authorities 1-7, was mapped from poor quality air photographs as part of the Howardian Hills Project. Only the rampart of the eastern half of the fort, with a single interruption at the position of the NE gateway, was visible as an earthwork. The remainder of the fort is obscured by building and tree cover. (Morph No. HH.98.4.1)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (8) |