DAYS OF THE ROMANS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21296, 24 September 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

DAYS OF THE ROMANS

EXCAVATIONS IN ENGLAND OLD BATHROOM REVEALED In the quiet valley of the River Ver, which gave its name to the ancient city of Verulaniium, in Hertfordshire, there has been uncovered one of the finest Roman mosaic pavements so far found in Britain. This remarkable pavement has survived almost undamaged through eighteen centuries until its discovery by Dr. R. E. Mortimer Wheeler,' the Curator of the London Museum, who is in charge of the excavation at Verulamium. The pavement is in the bathroom of a large "Roman house, which has an extenisve bath system in an excellent state of preservation. It must have belonged to an important citizen. It, is finely decorated with a series of floral patterns. "Tile unusual part of the . discovery," Dr. Wheeler explained recently, " is that both the pavement and the heating system for the baths have been uncovered intact. There is also a second and smaller pavement in another room. " We have found, also, a deep well, which is enclosed as part of the house in a room built for the purpose —an unusual luxury in Roman house planning. The well has not. yet been completely cleared, but it has already yielded up a large quantity of Roman pottery and ornaments from which the house may be definitely dated to the second century A.D. " Belonging to the second century fortifications wo have found a tower of unusual design along the line of the south wall, as well as the foundations of the west gateway of the city, which was excavated, with negative results, 30 years ago. There are sufficient remains to show that the gate consisted of a double carriage way flanked by square towers. "Although smaller than the London and Chester gateways, previously uncovered, which must have carried the main traffic, it is an imposing structure. " A third task has been the surveying and investigation of the early earthworks in the neighbourhood of St. Albans. hese appear to be part of the regular organisation of the countryside by settlers of the Belgae before the Roman conquest, " Some of these earthworks denote a higher degree of organised labour than many people would have expected before the arrival of the Romans. The ' boundary ' dyke, for example, which is known locally as Beech Bottom and was clearly not dug as a fortification, is 100 ft. broad and 25ft. deep."