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HOUSESTEADS MITHRAEUM

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The mithraeum was excavated in 1898; it consisted of a rectangular room flanked with benches, at the end was a sanctuary which contained a relief of Mithras surrounded by the zodiac. It survives as a circular platform, about 11 metres across, set into a southeast-facing slope to a maximum depth of 1.1 metres. None of the stonework is visible. Lying on the ground surface in the centre is what appears to be a section of stone water channel, and about 5 metres to the east is a silted spring containing some stone, but no apparent walling in situ, into which is inserted a modern porcelain basin for cattle. The remains of the temple were surveyed by RCHME Newcastle at 1:1000 as a part of the Housesteads Survey.

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(Previously recorded by the Ordnance Survey as NY 76 NE 14.1)

Seven or eight temples, and at least three shrines are attested at Housesteads by altars. Five or six of the temples are on or near Chapel Hill (NY 791 685), including the Mithraeum (at NY 7905 6846). (1)

In 1822, workmen struck the top of an altar; a partial excavation of that year showed it to be standing in its original position at the W end of a rectangular building. (2)

The building was fully excavated in 1898, and identified as a temple dedicated to the Persian god Mithras. (3)

Full description of altars and inscriptions. (4)

A wooden post set in a shallow depression marks the site of the Mithraeum. (5)

The Mithraeum survives as a circular platform, about 11m across, set into a SE-facing slope to a maximum depth of 1.1m. None of the stonework is visible. Lying on the ground surface in the centre is what appears to be a section of stone water channel, and about 5m to the E is a silted spring containing some stone, but no apparent walling in situ, into which is inserted a modern porcelain basin for cattle. The remains of the temple were surveyed by RCHME Newcastle at 1:1000 as a part of the Housesteads Survey. (6)

A elongated circular depression is visible on air photographs at NY 7905 6846, and presumably represents the site of the Mithraeum. (9)

Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

Birley E and Keeney GS, Fourth Report on Excavations at Housesteads 12, 1935 Page(s)230-4

( 2) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

Hodgson J Observations on the Roman Station of Housesteads, and on some Mithraic Antiquities discovered there.., 1, 1822 Page(s)263-320

( 3) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

Bosanquet RC Excavations on the line of the Roman Wall in Northumberland: The Roman Camp at Housesteads 25, 1904 Page(s)193-299

( 4) by the late R G Collingwood and R P Wright 1965 The Roman inscriptions of Britain, 1. Inscriptions on stone

Page(s)501-18

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 EC Waight 05-DEC-1966

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

Keith Blood/11-NOV-1985/RCHME: Housesteads Survey

( 7) Scheduled Monument Notification

14-JUL-1997

( 8) J G Crow and A Rushworth 1994 National Trust Archaeological Survey. Housesteads Roman fort and its environs : survey and analysis of the archaeological deposits

Page(s)54

(9) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR NY 7968/144 (19857/35) 04-MAY-2000

(10) English Heritage 2010 An Archaeological Map of Hadrian's Wall, 1:25,000 scale

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