{"id":103496,"date":"2022-01-11T15:35:26","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T15:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=103496"},"modified":"2022-01-11T15:35:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T15:35:26","slug":"roman-trading-settlement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/roman-trading-settlement\/103496\/","title":{"rendered":"HS2 archaeologists uncover Roman trading settlement"},"content":{"rendered":"

HS2<\/a> archaeologists have uncovered a wealthy Roman trading settlement near a village in South Northamptonshire<\/h2>\n

Over the past twelve months, a team of around 80 archaeologists from MOLA Headland Infrastructure<\/a> have been excavating an Iron Age village, which developed into a wealthy Roman trading settlement.<\/p>\n

The presence of an archaeological site in the area has been known since the 18th<\/sup> century, however, the scale and quality of the discoveries on site have surpassed expectations.<\/p>\n

The original use of the settlement began in the Iron Age, when it was a village formed of over 30 roundhouses, which have been uncovered alongside an Iron Age road.<\/p>\n

Evidence from the dig shows that the settlement expanded over time becoming more prosperous during the Roman period<\/a>, with new stone buildings and new roads emerging.<\/p>\n

A 10m wide Roman road runs through the site, and indicates that the settlement would have originally been used to load and unload goods.<\/p>\n

The wealth of the settlement is likely to have been based on trade, both from the nearby River Cherwell and via the Roman road.<\/p>\n

Over 300 Roman coins, discovered as if lost or discarded, have been recovered, an indication that a significant volume of commerce was passing through this area.<\/p>\n

The layout of the site indicates that the settlement was split into multiple areas, with foundations uncovered of buildings used for domestic purposes, as well as more industrial practises.<\/p>\n

The site would have originally been a busy area, shown through the evidence of workshops, kilns, and several preserved wells, uncovered by HS2 archaeologists.<\/p>\n

In one area of the site, the earth has been preserved with a red colour, indicating that the area would have been used for activities involving burning, such as bread making, foundries for metal work, or a pottery kiln.<\/p>\n