guy Posted October 29, 2021 Report Share Posted October 29, 2021 (edited) A reconstruction of the Richborough triumphal arch as it may have looked from the waterfront in about AD 120. © Historic England (illustration by Peter Lorimer) Quote “The use of chalk and turf as building materials is an exciting discovery, perhaps suggesting that the amphitheatre may have been built early in the Roman period, in the 1st century AD. New evidence from the present excavation has been able to identify this as a carcer, or cell. The cell, with its high walls reaching almost 2 metres, would have held those who entered the arena to meet their fate, whether wild animals, criminals or gladiators.” Quote “Numerous small finds have been unearthed during the excavation, including butchered animal bones, coins, items of personal adornment and pottery fragments which provide the evidence required to show that the Roman town at Richborough was occupied by civilians right through until the end of the 4th century AD – the entire Roman period in Britain.“ Bachground: Richborough (Rutupiae) was an important port city for the Roman conquest and control of Britain. It is the start of the Roman Watling street. Because of changing coastlines, the site is now more than two miles inland from the coast. Richborough is Britain’s only known site of a Roman triumphal arch. The arch is thought to have been in existence from 85 AD to 275 AD. It has been suggested that that the Italian Carrara marble and it’s inscriptions would not have survived well the British climate of snow and humidity, however. (SEE English Heritage volunteer Jenny below in video.) The triumphal arch would have greeted disembarking Romans as they left what was once a harbor city to travel inland. This would have been a powerful and symbolic entranceway to Britain for the arriving Romans. https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2021/10/29/holding-cell-for-gladiators-and-wild-animals-uncovered-in-excavation-of-richborough-roman-amphitheatre/ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-59079284 Edited October 31, 2021 by guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted October 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2021 (edited) It is interesting that the coin found at the site is from Carausius (reign 286-293 AD). (Thank you Orange Julius from cointalk.com for help with identification.) It is thought that it was probably Carausius who dismantled the triumphal arch to build a Saxon Shore fort at Richborough to protect from invading barbarians. This was one of many forts in the Saxon Shore system on both sides of the Channel to defend against the invading Saxons, Franks, and others. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxon_Shore Edited October 31, 2021 by guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispina Posted October 30, 2021 Report Share Posted October 30, 2021 Okay, I admit when I read the title of this post I expected to see a depiction of a gladiator holding a pen. 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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