| Title: |
Roman Baths Museum, The Archway Project, York Street, Bath: Programme of Archaeological Works |
| Series: |
Cotswold Archaeology unpublished report series
|
| Downloads: |
|
cotswold2-523562_219526.pdf (14 MB)
:
|
Download
|
|
| Biblio Note |
This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
|
| Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
|
| DOI |
|
| Publication Type: |
Report (in Series)
|
| Abstract: |
Phase 1 Area A was located almost seven metres to the south of the most southerly deposits known to be associated with the Roman Baths, in a small cellar under the 1884–5 engine house. It was intended to investigate the deposits below a proposed lift shaft which would impact to a depth of 0.5m below the existing concrete floor. The concrete and associated sub-base were removed by a contractor using power tools under constant archaeological supervision. Following this, cleaning by hand of the sides and base of the trench demonstrated that Roman deposits were directly sealed by the sub-base underlying the existing concrete floor. Area B was located immediately north of and extending into the doorway from the corridor running along the south side of the Circular Bath. It was intended to investigate deposits under a modern re-arrangement of stone slabs and associated concrete screed. These slabs and screed were lifted by contractors using power tools under constant archaeological supervision; two modern drainpipes and associated backfill were removed by hand by CA. Following this the whole trench was cleaned by hand to examine the make-up layers for the fragmentary in situ Roman flooring in the doorway and immediately to the south of the trench and any other Roman features and deposits. Area C comprised the re-excavation of a trench (recorded but not numbered) by Cunliffe in 1964/5 to confirm that the material he excavated was indeed the Victorian backfill of the Period II plunge bath and to investigate the condition of the masonry and the bath. It was quickly confirmed that the late 20th-century construction of a brick pier and associated concrete foundation had removed all trace of Cunliffe’s trench. It seems probable that the trench was dug as a rescue excavation in advance of the construction of this pier, but this had not been confirmed. The trench was therefore extended to approximately 2m by 2m to answer the questions outlined above and to examine the impact of the late 20th-century brick pier and also that of a substantial brick and steel structure in the centre of the bath in which Area C was located. The Victorian backfill was excavated by hand to expose Roman remains. Area D was a sample of the floor at the eastern end of the Investigation Zone of the proposed Archway Centre. The area sampled was constricted by stored Roman architectural stonework (Fig. 10). The then floor level was merely that left by the excavations in the 1880s which has thus formed the floor of the cellar ever since. Works in Area D comprised the careful trowelling of the trample deposits accumulated since the 1880s and the mapping of the deposits thus revealed. Area E consisted of the re-excavation of Cunliffe’s Trench 1, dug in 1964–5. This trench had revealed a Period I plunge bath with a “red mortar floor” and a cross section of the later Roman backfill of this bath. Emptying the backfill of the 1960s excavation provided an opportunity to record more fully those elements less well recorded previously. Area F comprised the removal of the fill of a modern pipe-trench against the south wall of the Great Bath to facilitate repair of the pipe. The Roman deposits and features thus exposed were recorded. Area G was excavated prior to the Area B excavation, and lay immediately to the south of it. It consisted of the removal of a modern pipe and associated backfill in order to assess the height and likely survival of Roman deposits in the doorway from the corridor immediately to the south of the Circular Bath. In the event, Area G did not provide useful information so excavation in Area B proceeded. |
| Author: |
M Brett
M. Cardelli
|
| Publisher: |
Cotswold Archaeology
|
| Other Person/Org: |
Bath and North East Somerset HER (OASIS Reviewer)
|
| Year of Publication: |
2022
|
| Locations: |
| Parish: |
Bath and North East Somerset, unparished area |
| County: |
Somerset |
| Country: |
England |
| County: |
Bath and North East Somerset |
| District: |
Bath and North East Somerset |
|
Grid Reference: 375069, 164699 (Easting, Northing)
|
|
| Subjects / Periods: |
|
| Identifiers: |
| OASIS Id: |
cotswold2-523562 |
| Report id: |
18148 |
|
| Source: |
|
| Relations: |
|
| Created Date: |
14 Apr 2024 |
