The Roman amphitheatre
A surprise discovery
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The
most important single discovery in recent years has been
the uncovering of the Roman amphitheatre, in a place
where no-one expected it. It was found under the
Guildhall yard, in front of the medieval Guildhall. Only
one end of the amphitheatre was excavated, where the cellars for
a new library were being dug out.
In the late Saxon
period, the yard was used for a huddle of small houses,
but it seems likely that when the Guildhall was erected
in the Middle Ages, the remains of the oval depression
were recognised. The Guildhall itself was built over one
side, where the Roman President of the games would have
watched the proceedings.
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London's Guildhall, the heart
of medieval London, is undergoing renovation. The yard
in front was to
be excavated to provide new cellars, and to the
right, the amphitheatre was discovered.
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The Roman amphitheatre. At the
bottom, the two curving walls formed the walls of the
arena. At the centre was the gate, and the twin
walls running to the top of the picture formed the entrance
way.
The steel girders were needed to enable to deep
excavation.
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Amphitheatre drain
Still
preserved under the entrance way to the amphitheatre, was the original timber drain,
its wood perfectly preserved, and still carrying water.
There was even a 'silt-trap' whether the silt was
encouraged to settle, and could be cleaned out.
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A full account of this discovery appeared in Current Archaeology
number 137
Page created: 28th February 1999
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