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Villas out of Molehills (Withington, Gloucestershire) | S13E02 | Time Team

Time Team Classics・42 minutes read

Archaeologists in Whittington uncover a Roman villa with mosaics and potential bathhouse, leading to the discovery of a larger, more complex settlement dating back 2,000 years, hinting at wealthy occupants and water engineering skills. The team works to locate the villa and unravel its history, finding evidence of affluent inhabitants and connections to other structures in the area, highlighting the mysteries waiting to be solved.

Insights

  • The excavation in Whittington has revealed a Roman villa with mosaics, leading to the discovery of a bathhouse and potential temple structures, showcasing the advanced water engineering skills of the Romans and hinting at a larger, more complex settlement evolving over centuries.
  • The team, led by Stuart and GeoFizz, successfully located the licensed villa, believed to have been occupied by wealthy yeoman farmers in the 4th century, with intersecting circle mosaics. The site's evolution from modest farm buildings to a sophisticated complex with piped water, alongside the unexpected finding of another villa nearby, poses intriguing questions about the area's history and connections between structures, urging further exploration to unravel the mysteries hidden beneath the surface.

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Recent questions

  • What significant discoveries were made in Whittington?

    A Roman villa with preserved mosaics.

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Summary

00:00

Roman Villa Uncovered in Whittington Excavations

  • Whittington in the Cotswolds is an area of outstanding beauty with rich farmland and classy houses, with a Roman villa discovered 200 years ago by a plowman, featuring exquisite mosaics.
  • A spring 200 meters below the villa field has revealed Roman mosaic and tile, potentially connected to the big villa nearby, raising questions about a possible bathhouse or temple.
  • Whittington, near Siren Sester, was a significant Roman town, and local archaeologist Roger Box has exciting leads on potential Roman sites in the area.
  • The site is full of mysterious lumps and bumps, with anticipation high as archaeologists begin excavations to uncover potential Roman structures.
  • Excavations reveal a Roman villa with preserved mosaics, but its exact location is unknown, prompting the team to search for it.
  • Stuart and GeoFizz race to locate the villa using historical drawings and modern equipment, with promising results indicating the villa's possible location.
  • Phil uncovers a Roman mosaic in the lower field, hinting at potential Roman structures, while volunteers search the stream for Roman artifacts.
  • GeoFizz discovers curving ditches and possible Roman structures in the upper field, suggesting the presence of a Romano-British villa.
  • Excavations in the upper field reveal Roman walls and artifacts, including tesserae and pottery, indicating the presence of a Roman structure.
  • By the end of the first day, significant archaeology has been uncovered, including multiple mosaics and Roman walls, hinting at the presence of a Roman villa in the area.

15:09

"Roman villa discovery reveals hidden mysteries"

  • The collapsed roof reveals the main walls of the building, with a corridor and main rooms containing a collapsed mosaic.
  • Excitement arises from new geophysics results showing the building is larger and more complex than initially thought, leading to further exploration.
  • A trench will be targeted in the middle of the area, possibly a 10x10 size, to uncover more information.
  • A Roman villa has been discovered, but its exact location is uncertain, prompting plans for a trench to pinpoint its position.
  • A fishy spring is investigated, revealing a stone-built channel instead of a natural spring, suggesting a potential undiscovered building nearby.
  • The Romans' water engineering skills are highlighted, with a culvert bringing fresh water to the buildings from a distant spring despite the river's proximity.
  • Geophysical surveys aim to locate the spring head for a possible temple structure in the lower field, with indications of a bath house being uncovered.
  • The bath house is identified through distinctive tile types, suggesting a hot room with a unique vaulted ceiling design.
  • Two phases of the bath house, 300 years apart, are discovered, hinting at a possible hypercaust heating system beneath the mosaic pavement.
  • Despite challenges in finding the licensed villa in the upper field, evidence like stone structures and landscape orientation point towards its existence, leading to further exploration.

29:44

Strategic search reveals Roman villa with mosaics.

  • The team is struggling to locate a licensed villa, but they have a strategy in place.
  • They are confident in the magnetic results but lack a clear plan based on resistance data.
  • They plan to dig trenches to uncover the villa, despite limited labor.
  • They aim to find the licensed plan by the end of the day.
  • They discuss potential sites, including a middle field and a bottom field with mosaics.
  • They discover a Roman bathhouse with collapsed mosaic floors in the lower field.
  • They debate the layout of the bathhouse and uncover an underfloor heating system.
  • In the upper field, they find a mosaic and speculate on its dating and significance.
  • They finally locate the licensed villa, with intersecting circles in a mosaic.
  • They conclude that the villa was likely occupied by wealthy yeoman farmers in the 4th century.

45:43

Ancient Bath House Unearths Rich History

  • The site discovered includes a bath house, a plunge pool, a trench with a mosaic, corridors, and rooms, indicating a larger complex than initially thought, potentially dating back 2,000 years ago. The settlement evolved from modest farm buildings post-Roman occupation to a more affluent complex with piped water, possibly built by the same family as the nearby villa. The discovery of the bath house, with its mosaics and plunge pool, along with the unanticipated finding of another larger villa nearby, raises questions about the site's history and potential connections to other structures in the area, leaving many mysteries yet to be unraveled.
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