Archeologists have discovered a ‘remarkable’ Roman villa in Oxfordshire while preparing for a new housing estate.
The historical building at Brookside Meadows in the village of Grove, Wantage was once richly decorated with painted plaster and mosaics, typical of the Roman style.
Experts think it was an aisled building – a type of rectangular Roman villa that was divided into a primary central area and two flanking aisles, a bit like a church.
Also found at the site is a treasure trove of objects, including Roman ‘curse tablets’, belt buckles and coins.
Excavations are still ongoing but eventually houses will be built over the remains.
Archaeologists at the Red River Archaeology Group working on a Barratt and David Wilson Homes housing development in Oxfordshire found a remarkable Roman villa complex
Roman coins uncovered at the site. Roman currency came into use in around 300 BC, centuries after it arose throughout the Greek world
Archaeologists from the Red River Archaeology Group made the findings while preparing for a new Barratt and David Wilson Homes housing development.
According to the experts, the site is situated on a landscape inhabited since the Bronze Age – a period lasting from approximately 3300 BC to 1200 BC.
The Romans – who invaded Britain in AD 43 – are thought to have been there from the first or second century until the late fourth or fifth century AD.
‘The site is far more complex than a regular rural site,’ said Francesca Giarelli, project officer at Red River Archaeology Group.
‘Clearly [it] was an important centre of activities for a long time, from the Bronze Age to the later Roman period.’
Remains show the Roman villa was richly decorated with painted plaster and mosaics of floral motifs, while a ‘complex’ brick floor can still be seen.
Also found at the site were hundreds of coins, rings and brooches, and a horse-headed belt buckle dating to AD 350-450.
The site was uncovered during excavation work in preparation for a new housing development in Grove, Oxfordshire
The remains of the villa in Grove, Wantage, sit on a landscape inhabited since the Bronze Age. Pictured, the ‘complex’ brick floor
Remains show the Roman villa was richly decorated with painted plaster and mosaics of floral motifs
Researchers say this horse-headed belt buckle likely belonged to an elite member of the Roman army, or someone who wished to be associated with the Roman army
Researchers say this buckle likely belonged to an elite member of the Roman army, or someone who wished to be associated with the Roman army – a form of ‘military chic’.
Also found were fragments of Roman flue tiles – special types of tile that allowed the circulation of hot air through the walls and under the floors.
The system, known as hypocaust, was used in bath-houses and heated rooms, and is an example of the ingenuity of the Romans when it came to creating new domestic systems.
There were also suspected fragments of Samian ware, also known as ‘terra sigillata’, the fine tableware of Roman Britain.
In terms of trinkets, experts uncovered miniature votive axes – little axes likely used as an offering to the gods.
These could have been deposited on a sacred area, usually to ask for favour with the crops or harvest.
Most intriguing of all is the discovery of tightly coiled lead scrolls that, although blank when unrolled, recall the famous Roman ‘curse tablets’.
Most intriguing of all is the discovery of tightly coiled lead scrolls that, although blank when unrolled, recall the famous Roman ‘curse tablets’. Roman curse tablets were the vengeful messages on small sheets of lead or pewter, asking gods and spirits to act on their behalf
experts uncovered miniature votive axes – little axes likely used as an offering to the gods. These could have been deposited on a sacred area, usually to ask for favour with the crops or harvest
Fragments of Roman flue tiles – specialist type of tile that allowed the circulation of hot air through the walls, used in bath-houses and heated rooms
There were also suspected fragments of Samian ware, also known as ‘terra sigillata’, the fine tableware of Roman Britain
The Roman curse tablets were the vengeful messages inscribed on small sheets of lead or pewter, asking gods and spirits to act on their behalf.
The presence of both the curse tablets and the miniature votive axes suggest a pilgrimage or ritualistic element somewhere on the site.
Despite the historical significance of the Brookside Meadows site, it will still be prepared for a new collection of homes.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes is cooperating with archaeologists to carry out continued excavations at the site of interest.