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Roman Grantham – Teachers’ Notes
Caesar landed in Britain in 55BC, then again attacked in 53BC, but it was
Vespasian under the command of the Emperor Claudius who established the
Romans in Britain in 43AD. It is not known from either historical sources or
archaeological evidence when the Romans moved into Lincolnshire.
However, the archaeological evidence of Roman activity in the region is vast,
including a Legionary fortress on the top of the hill in Lincoln (Bennet 2000, 1).
Although Grantham was not a Roman military site, there is archaeological and
historical evidence of a settlement where Salt Road (or Salter’s Way) crosses
the River Witham. The site is known as Saltersford and has been documented
since the 18th century. It was first recorded archaeologically by Henry Preston,
the manager of Grantham Water Works, at the turn of the twentieth century,
when he found evidence of stone buildings on both sides of the river.
Excavation immediately north west of the river crossing revealed more stone
walls and foundations, a paved yard or road surface, post holes and a
multitude of finds including roof tiles, glass beads, iron tools, nails, wall
plaster, window glass and a small limestone column capital. On the east side
of the river, a well, the footings of domestic buildings and a five metre wide
roadway were all exposed along with evidence of iron smelting and a large
number of iron metalwork finds such as iron keys, bronze and silver artefacts
such a votive tablet, a coin hoard, seal boxes, a face mask, a small silvered
hand mirror and Roman pottery. Evidence of an urned cremation and two
inhumation burials were also recorded.
The quantity, quality and diversity of the artefacts found indicate the
settlement spanned the Romano British period (43AD to 409AD) and was
certainly urban in nature. The actual limits of the Roman town are still
uncertain, but fieldwalking confirms that it stretched at least as far as the
Great North Road to the west and two hundred metres north and south of the
fording point. The steep scarp, which forms the eastern river cliff, may have
been the natural boundary on this side.
In 1979 a hoard of late fourth century bronze coins was found at Saltersford.
The coins had been welded together in groups by heat. The small quantity
and low value of the hoard suggests that the stash was small change from a
purse which may have been tucked away in the roof of a house which was
subsequently burnt down.
Later excavations around the site in the 1990s revealed a votive tablet, more
stone buildings, metalled surfaces, a possible circular hut, infant burials and
an early third century AD burial cemetery. The cemetery was located just
outside the western limit of Saltersford in accordance with Roman Law that
forbade burial within occupation areas. Major expansion of the settlement in
the third century led to the disuse of the cemetery. This expansion would
appear to have been rapid, possibly due to the merging of two separate
settlements or because of mass immigration to Grantham.
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Elsewhere in Grantham, coins, coin hoards, brooches, rings, pottery and
beads have all been found showing the vast extent of the Romano British
occupation of the parish.
The army group which occupied the eastern parts of England were the Ninth
Legion, Legio IX Hispana (Todd 1973, 28). The group was formed of cavalry
and infantry and were based at the large forts of Longthorpe and Newton on
Trent which extended along Ermine Street (Todd 1973, 28). By AD60, the
Ninth Legion abandoned Longthorpe and about the same time the legionary
base at Lincoln began to be occupied. Later the Ninth Legion was replaced at
Lincoln by the newly raised Legio II Adiutrix. Before AD96, the colonia was
founded at Lindum on the site of the legionary fortress which was demolished
to make way for the new city (Todd 1973, 33-4). After this date the military
force appears to have left Britain and a veteran colony (Lindum colonia) was
laid out (Todd 1973, 34).
Other settlements known as 'small towns' exist in the Lincolnshire (Bennet
2000, 2). Evidence from the settlement at Ancaster shows that defences were
constructed in AD250 and the defences of the forts at Caistor and Horncastle
show enhancement against sea-borne raiders after AD369 (Todd 1973, 4060). The most comprehensive amount of work in Lincolnshire has been
completed on villa sites but this was mainly in the eighteenth, nineteenth and
twentieth centuries (Bennet 2000, 2). Some sites show evidence of
destruction as layers of ash and burnt timber have been found and Norton
Disney was clearly damaged in the late second to mid third century (Todd
1973, 45). Whether this evidence is indicative of hostile attacks or accidental
damage is uncertain. However the evidence of enhancement of defences
around this time and the archaeological evidence of destruction implies this
was a period of instability.
The settlement at Bourne seems to be focused around pottery making as
several kilns have been discovered on the site (Bennet 2000, 2). Other
settlement evidence has been found at Foston, Hibaldstow, Kirmington,
Ludford, Navenby, Old Winteringham, Osgodby, Owmby, Saltersford,
Sapperton, Sleaford, Stainfield and Ulceby Cross (Bennet 2000, 2).
From the evidence found at Saltersford and elsewhere in Grantham and
Lincolnshire, archaeologists have pieced together what life might have been
like in the Roman period. There was a great deal of trade happening during
this period. The most common form of evidence that trade was occurring
between Lincolnshire and the continent is the multitude of Samian Ware
pottery found in the region which has a distinctive red glaze. This type of
pottery was imported into Britain from Gaul and the Rhineland, although in the
second century Samian Ware began being manufactured in large quantities
the Nene Valley, Peterborough. Amphorae vessels are also found in
Lincolnshire and are further evidence of trade with the continent. The iron
industry was one of the main sources of the region’s wealth long before the
Roman conquest (Todd 1973, 106-7) and continued to be important
throughout the Roman period. Other industries include pottery making, jet and
jewellery making, pewter and iron-working, smelting and stone working. Salt-
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making also flourished along the coast of Lincolnshire, particularly in
Ingoldmells and Skegness. Oyster, mussel and cockle shells have been
found, not just along the coast but also inland suggesting they were being
transported, possibly in salt or brine. There were probably also leather and
timber industries but no evidence has been found archaeologically.
Religion
Roman officials exercised tolerance to the indigenous population’s existing
deities and so there is archaeological evidence in Lincolnshire of the official
Imperial cult, worship of the other gods which were introduced under Roman
rule and continued worship of pre-Roman gods. Both the native and Roman
deities were sometimes associated with the Imperial cult. There is also
evidence of the worship of Christianity in Lincolnshire, although rare.
Examples of religious features and artefacts from Lincolnshire include a
possible temple at Dragonby (May 1996), temples at Nettleton and
Kirmington, stone alters at Owmby Cliff and Whaplode, religious sculpture in
Lincoln and Ancaster and a Roman diadem found at Deeping St James
(Bennet 2000, 4).
The dominant burial rite in the Roman period was inhumation; a large
cemetery with over three hundred burials has been found at Ancaster and
there is evidence of inhumation burials in Lincoln and just to the south of the
city. Cremations have also been found to the west of the walled area of the
city (Bennet 2000, 4). A second century female skeleton was found on Trent
Road, Grantham. It is thought that the burial may be part of a small
inhumation cemetery related to a nearby settlement. Other than this evidence
there is no more archaeology related to religion from Grantham.
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Bibliography
Bennet, M. 2000. An Archaeological Resource Assessment of the Roman
Period in Lincolnshire. Available at
http://www.le.ac.uk/archaeology/research/projects/eastmidsfw/pdfs/23linrom.p
df (14/01/10).
May, J. 1996 Dragonby: Report on the Excavations at an Iron Ager and
Romano-British Settlement in North Lincolnshire. Volume One. Oxford:
Oxbow.
Todd, M. 1973. The Coriatani. London: Gerald Duckworth and Co. Ltd.
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