The Beetham Tower Site, Deansgate, Manchester
Written by Robin Taylor-Wilson
Important Roman settlement remains were recorded March-April 2004, at the site of the Beetham Tower (now the tallest building in the UK outside London) on Deansgate in Manchester. The remains have been interpreted as being associated with the civilian settlement (vicus) attached to the Roman fort of Mamucium, which lies c. 120m to the south-west. The work was commissioned by CgMs Consulting, on behalf of the Beetham Organization.
The potential of the site for Roman remains was emphasised through documentary evidence, in particular the work of the antiquarian Charles Roeder (1848-1911) (pictured left). Roeder's map of Roman Manchester from 1900 indicates the location of Roman buildings and roads upon the Beetham Tower site. (pictured below - right column) Despite the fact that the Great Northern Railway viaduct ran across the north-western part of the site, archaeological remains survived well in pockets of undisturbed ground.
View of PCA's excavations from the north, with the brick foundations of the Victorian Great Northern Railway viaduct prominent.
PCA's findings
There was no evidence of activity at the site prior to the Roman period, or after the 3rd century AD. The absence of evidence for later Roman and medieval activity may have been due to horizontal truncation associated with 19th century development or possibly due to a change in settlement patterns after the 3rd century. The archaeological record suggests that the most intense period of occupation at the site was during the 2nd century AD.
The site lies to the north-east of the confluence of the Rivers Irwell and Medlock; natural sand and gravel recorded across the excavation areas represents the river terrace.
The earliest phase of activity was characterised by a group of substantial Roman pits, probably dug for sand and gravel extraction. It is likely that this quarrying activity provided material for the construction of nearby roads, presumably constructed in the earliest phases of the vicus settlement. Pottery recovered from the earliest backfill of the quarry pits dates to the period c. AD 80-120, from the early Flavian foundations of the vicus. The site seems to have been incorporated into the vicus in an organised manner during the early 2nd century. Boundary ditches were recorded and tree clearance may have taken place in the south of the site, prior to the construction of a timber-framed structure. Numerous other features in this area may have originated from fencelines, small storage structures, etc. To the north, a small group of pits may have been excavated for the disposal of refuse.
The timber-framed structure was subsequently abandoned and material containing demolition and occupation debris was dumped across the area, also further backfilling the earlier quarry pits. A developed soil was recorded, overlying the refuse pits; this suggests a period of abandonment dating to c. AD 120-160.
The subsequent phase of activity saw the most intense occupation in the Roman period at the site. The remains of three buildings of clay and timber construction were recorded. One displayed evidence for an episode of rebuilding in the form of a later clay floor surface, the second contained the remains of foundations for wattle and daub walls (pictured below), while the third had been constructed with a stone dwarf wall. Internal features comprised clay wall foundations and clay floors with associated beamslots. One of the structures may have burnt down prior to being rebuilt. The final phase of this structure had been subject to horizontal truncation and survived only as a small area of clay floor with associated beamslot and stakeholes. A group of substantial pits was recorded, presumably for the disposal of refuse from the buildings. All of the structures recorded were built on the same
alignment forming part of a grid-like layout within the vicus. The buildings themselves may have fronted onto a road or street, and the excavated evidence suggests that they were commercial premises, possibly roadside shops.
Roman clay and timber building remains being recorded in the north-western part of the site.
The final phase of Roman activity recorded at the site comprised a single substantial pit, from which pottery dating to the period c. AD 200-250 was recovered. A developed soil accumulated, sealing parts of the latest buildings. The absence of any later 3rd or 4th century ceramic material indicates that the vicus may have contracted in size and suggests that the area was abandoned completely, rather than being utilised for agricultural purposes in the late and sub-Roman period.
The importance of the site
The evidence of Roman occupation at the Beetham Tower site is important in a local and regional context as the data has the potential to provide significant information concerning the development of the vicus associated with the Roman fort, which in turn reflects Roman occupation of the region. The artefactual material recovered included a relatively large assemblage of Roman pottery, more than half of which was from Dressel 20 amphorae, principally used to store olive oil. (pictured below) The quantity of samian ware recovered from the excavation is unusually large and is considered to contain an extraordinarily high proportion of decorated ware. A particularly interesting and important feature of the samian assemblage was a group of South Gaulish vessels of 2nd century date from Montans.
Part of a Roman amphora survives in section, despite Victorian activity.
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