| Aiskew Roman villa | |
|---|---|
.svg)  Location within North Yorkshire | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Romano-British Villa |
| Location |
Aiskew,
North Yorkshire grid reference SE2733989918 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 54°18′15″N 1°34′53″W / 54.304141°N 1.5813715°W |
Aiskew Roman villa is a Roman villa in Aiskew, North Yorkshire, England. It was identified by geophysical survey in July 2013 and partly excavated between November 2014 and February 2015. [1] [2]
Discovery
The villa was discovered in 2013 by a geophysical survey of the site in advance of construction of the Bedale, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar bypass. The site was excavated by Pre-construct archaeology. [2] There was no prior indication of a villa at this site and Peter Rowe, North Yorkshire's County Archaeologist described the discovery as "a surprise, it was a shock". [3] Only a small part of the villa complex was excavated during this scheme, with over 95% of it reportedly left undisturbed. [3] [2]
Interpretation
The site is close to the Roman road of Dere Street and is less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Cataractonium (Roman Catterick). [4]
The villa is of the 'winged -corridor' type and has a long central range with a 'wing' at each end. [2] It dates to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. One of the rooms at the north-east end included an opus signinum floor. A room with a hypocaust was also included at the north wing. Finds from the site include a silver stylus, a stamped amphora rim from north Africa, Nene Valley Colour Coated Ware, and samian ware. [3] It was constructed over a pre-existing field system and an enclosure dating to the late Iron Age to early Roman period. [5]
References
- ^ Historic England. "Aiskew Roman villa, 550m west of Aiskew Grange (1426407)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d Shepherd, John (2021). Before Bedale: Archaeological excavations along the route of the Bedale, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar Bypass. Pre-Construct Archaeology. pp. 32–54.
- ^ a b c "95 per cent of Roman villa in North Yorkshire field is yet to be uncovered reveals archaeologist". Yorkshire Post. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Heated dining rooms and butchery: The robbed Roman villa found by archaeologists in Yorkshire". Culture24. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Founded in Prehistory". Roman Yorkshire: The Newsletter of the Roman Antiquities Section of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. Yorkshire Archaeological Society. 2023. p. 2-5.
