The recent discovery of a shackled skeleton in a Casterton garden is just one of a number of interesting finds around the Roman settlement over the years.
“1st.- Century Pottery Unearthed by Rampart Excavations
If a layman stands upon a ridge almost opposite Great Casterton secondary school and looks south and west, he sees the pretty village of Casterton, through which pours almost endless traffic on the A1 road.
Stand on the same ridge with an archaeologist, and a different picture is formed in the mind. He will build for you – as Mr. Philip Korda. M.A., and Mr. Graham Webster, F.S. A., created for me last week – a picture of a Roman township, surrounded by the River Gwash on the greater part of the circumference of an egg-shaped piece of land, the ridge upon which we were standing being the land barrier which completed the oval-shaped enclosure, while Ermine Street (the old Roman road) take the place of the busy Great North Road as we know it today.
For it had been discovered through new workings at Casterton that the ridge was indeed a rampart, surrounded by a ditch, which the Romans built to fortify the township.
Messrs. Korda and Webster told me that the new working was original archaeological research for, as far as they know, the ridge had never been examined before, although it has always been a source of speculation among local antiquaries.
Earthworks Opened
The earthworks have been opened during a fortnight’s summer school in archaeology for students interested in seeking information on the first century.
Casterton had been visited during the past two years by Mr. J. L. Barber, curator of Oakham School museum, and by boys from that school, who have been excavating a Roman villa site in a field off the Ryhall Road beyond the secondary school. Although research there had also occupied the summer school students part of their time, it was though that to open a new working on the rampart would provide a different type of excavating and work for them in contrast to the horizontal work that had been proceeding at the villa.
The whole idea of the course, as Mr. Korda (director of the course and excavations) explained, was for students to be instructed and have practical experience in these two kinds of work, and judging from the manner in which the students were earnestly working, it undoubtedly attained its object.
Added to Knowledge
The rampart must have closed up the vulnerable portion of the township facing in the general direction of Pickworth. When the archaeologists went to the sit they had no idea when it was built. It might have been Roman; it might have been mediaeval. The maiin task, therefore, hjad been to examine this, and towards the end of the course the earthworks have been identified as Roman. Thus the summer school can calim to have added something to the kknowledge of Roman Britain.
The highest part of the ridge had been the subject of the examination; no time was available to do anything in the former ditch. However, from the trench in the rampart, interesting discoveries have been made, including relics of the occupation before the rampart was built.
It was discovered that a wall had been made of clean material (clay and stone), some of whichi was no doubt taken from the ditch. A fair amount of early Roman pottery, however, had found its way into the construction, which indicated that, in addition to taking up material from the ditch, the builders also acraped up some belongings from the inside, or township.
Some pottery proved to be of the first century, while other finds included eye-brow pluckers! One of the diggers threw out a small glass blue bead while I was there.
Discovery of a hearth at the bottom of the newly-made pit was proof that there had been occupation before the building of the rampart. The pottery there indicated the last second century, which establishes the fact that it was after that period the the rampart was erected.
Valuable Exercise
Mr. Korda and Mr. Webster said that the exercise had been a very valuable one for the students, who included doctors, lawyers, undergraduates, medical officers, civil servants (male and female) and two housewives. Considering that lectures in the local secondary school occupied the mornings, the students got through a tremendous amount of work on the two sites. The parties for the villa and the rampart were chosen daily so as to afford variety, and the members performed a remarkable piece of digging for a group of volunteers not trained in pick and shovel work. The deep and fairly wide trench in the rampart was filled and the turf re-laid before the school broke up.
The director was very appreciative of the kindness of the Marquis of Exeter (owner of the land), Mr. Frank Healey, of Bridge Farm, Casterton (tenant) and of the Rutland Education Committee for the use of the school as accommodation and classrooms.
Experts’ Lectures
SApart from the practical work on the two sites in the adfternoons, the school was addressed in the mornings by Mr. Korda (on the Roman villa), Mr. Graham Webster (on Romad defences, etc.), Mr. M. W. Barley, M.A. F. S. A., of the Nottingham University Adult Education department, who organised the course (on local occupation of the Casterton area, etc.), Mr. J. P. Gillam, a lecturer at Durham University, and others.
Mr. E. G. Bolton, headmaster of the secondary school, himself a keen archaeologist, was most co-operative, and not a little of the success of the school could be attributed to him. Mr. J. L. Barber also gave consierable assistance.
Mr. Webster is, of course, an Old Stamfordian and curator of Grosvenor Museum, Chester.”
The Stamford Mercury, 18th August, 1950.