The Archaeology of Late Iron Age and Roman Colchester - with Howard Brooks FSAMCIfA
(next Saturday, 5th February 2022).
Colchester is blessed with a large number of Late Iron Age and Roman monuments. These include King Cunobelin’s oppidum (fortress), defended by a great network of linear earthworks, and its related barrows; then from the Roman period are the walls and gates, the temple of the Emperor Claudius, an early church, and the only known circus (chariot-racing track) in Britain. This study-day, presented by one of Colchester's most senior archaeologists, will introduce us to these impressive sites.
10.15 – 11.15:Cunobelin’s Camulodunum - what, when, and where was it; and how do we know? This session will explore the earthwork defences around Camulodunum ('Fortress of (the war god) Camulos'), assess the written evidence for the location of the fortress, and look at the now copious amount of material from excavations in the 1930s, 1970s and 2000s, including evidence for cross-channel trade and Cunobelin’s coin mint.
11.15-11.45: Coffee-break.
11.45 – 12.45: The Colony of Claudius and its walls, gates, and houses. There is a mass of excavated (and published) information on the infrastructure of Roman Colchester. In this session we will look at the extant town walls, gates, and church(?), the excavated fortress, later colony (Colonia Victricensis) and its destruction by Boudicca, and the later town houses and temples.
12.45-13.45: Lunch-break.
13.45-14.45: Recent discoveries: The only known Roman circus (chariot racing track - think Ben Hur !), the Temple of Claudius Façade, the Insula 19 jewellery hoard (excavated from a secure Boudiccan context), and the tasty contents of a Roman spice shop.
About Howard Brooks FSA MCIfA
Howard has had a career in archaeology for over 50 years and is now gradually retiring from being Deputy Director at Colchester Archaeological Trust, with whom he has worked on (and directed) the excavation of large and stratified urban sites in and around the Roman town. He has a particular interest in landscape archaeology, and has taught evening classes for the Universities of Essex, Cambridge and East Anglia. He also helps local groups to carry out fieldwork and publish their results.
Please note that you will have to book each event separately on Eventbrite.
Study-days will remain online for the time being.
Online study-days start at 10.15 and usually finish at 14.45, with a timetable of three, one-hour sessions with breaks in between. Precise timings may vary depending on discussion and potential broadband signal blips.
Please note that these are live, online events only - there are no recordings available afterwards.
Study-Days in Zoom-land
Online study-days are usually overseen by a chairman to ensure the event runs smoothly. To avoid disruptions during presentations, participants will be ‘muted’, but questions can be raised via the Zoom text-chat box for the chairman to marshal for the Q & A time near the end of each session. Click here to see how to operate Zoom.
Tickets
Individual ticket: £30 per person
Ticket for Two: £45 - suitable for two friends viewing on one screen.
Cancellations
You may cancel your booking up to 24 hours before the start of the event.
You will receive a refund via Eventbrite (usually less Eventbrite’s service charge - about £3 for an individual ticket or £4 for a couple ticket).
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