Regular news features from COLAS and London

CHANGE OF MEETING VENUE

From the November 2007 meeting,
the Society's monthly meetings will be held at
St Katharine Cree Church Hall, Leadenhall Street EC3A 3DH,
just 5 mins walk from our previous venue at St Olave's.
Entrance to the hall is via side doors.

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National Archaeology Weekend
21st - 22nd July 2007
11:30am - 4:00pm

The Tower of London

COLAS's regular involvement in this popular event. More details HERE.

The weekend of July 21/22 once again sees COLAS at HM Tower of London with our popular contribution to National Archaeology Days. This annual celebration of archaeology in action is coordinated by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and its Young Archaeologists' Club, and supported by English Heritage (www.britarch.ac.uk/naw/index.html).

On this special weekend, COLAS is the main contributor to a range of free public displays and activities at HM Tower of London. These are held in an open space by the river wall, where our stands include museum-quality artefacts and handling collections (lent by COLAS
members and borrowed from the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre), as well as replicas, activities and games, covering everything from bones and burials, through shoes and coins, to mosaic-making and dressing-up in Roman costume.

COLAS will be in 'The Wood', along the path by the river wall, south of the Tower itself, between 11:30 and 16:00 each day. During the mornings' low tides, HM Tower of London will host 'Fun on the Foreshore', with access to Tower Beach (weather and environmental
conditions permitting), and a team of environmentalists and archaeologists to answer questions and identify finds (http://www.hrp.org.uk).

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Major Roman Building Complex found to east of City

A high-status series of buildings, including a public sized bath house, have been excavated on a site in Shadwell. The 'mansio' / villa complex includes some relatively humble industrial activity outside. The second century finds include wall plaster and coins. The location of the site, which closes in January, calls into question the previously considered boundaries of Roman Londinium, being nearly a mile to the east beyond the city walls.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/england/2688817.stm for more details

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ROMAN LONDINIUM

The first Roman inscription to include London's name has recently been found in a pit in Southwark. Pre-Construct Archaeology made the discovery of the top part of the plaque on the Tabard Square development.

The inscription on the 12inch wide by 16inch deep piece of white marble reads:

NVM AUGG DEOMARTICA MVLO TIBERINI VSCELERIANVS C BELL MORITIX LONDINIENSI VM (PRI)MVS

which has been transated to read:

To the spirits of the emperors (and) the god Mars Camulos, Tiberinius Celerianus, ranking moritex of the (traders) of London, set this up

For more information about the remarkable discovery, visit the Pre-Construct Archaeology
web site: www.pre-construct.com.

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