THE WAY OF THE ROMANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20420, 23 November 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE WAY OF THE ROMANS.

OLD DRAIN IN ENGLAND. *

BUILT OF HALF-TON STONES. The excavations on the site of Richborough Castle, near Sandwich, continue to bring to light striking examples of Roman engineering and workmanship made during practically the whole of the Roman occupation, from the, first to the fourth centuries A.D., says an English newspaper. Within the last few weeks a splendidly constructed drainage system in massive stune work was unearthed inside the castle. Huge stones, computed to weigh from half a ton to 3cwt. each, were used in this work. Its condition is as good as when it was first laid, at a date which .Mr. Walker, the archaeologist in charge of this excavation, considers to be between 80 and 100 A.D. from the evidence of pottery discovered 011 tho site. For 30ft. this drain extends in a succession of these great stones, laid flat, with others forming two sides, and it is ii, tribute to the judgment of the Roman engineers in charge of that work that the foundations were so well laid that there is no sign of sagging, although for centuries tho heavy stonework of the drain has had super-imposed upon it, the tons of weight of many feet of earth. Excavation shows further that the structure had taken the place of an earlier drain of crude construction which formerly existed within the custlo walls. The opening out, of the Roman road systems have proved that from t.he earliest times thero existed on this site two great roads—north and south, east and west. Well-battered beach and soil formed the foundations of the earliest loads, and as additions were made later a solid mass like concrete was formed, many feet ih depth. Tho investigation of the two Roman defensive ditches outside the. castle walls has been started beyond tho great west gale, and good progress is beirg made. Vast quantities of earth are being iemoved. and one can begin to get a good idea of what these defensive works of Rutupiae, ( the great naval port, looked i like in Roman days.