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.
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