The Lost Port of Londinium - Page 2
By Alistair Douglas, Senior Archaeologist, Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd.
Graphics by Josephine Brown
All photos by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd
The bath-house
The original build of the baths was terraced into the slope at c. 4.0m OD and continued beyond the limit of excavation both to the west and east. The exposed extent measured 17.75m (east to west) by 16.95m (north to south) and comprised at least ten rooms, of which six were heated. The original structure may have been 'L' shaped in plan with a possible entrance to the south and at least one apse to the north.
The majority of the building survived only to foundation level although towards the northeast better preservation was evident. The north wall and apse, adjacent to the eastern baulk, remained intact to a height of 1.75m, where the standing masonry was almost at contemporary floor level.
Layout and use
Roman baths operated much like Turkish baths today, with the bather moving through rooms of different temperature and humidity. The building appeared to originally have had two separate heated suites to the east and west, probably sharing the same entranceway, reception room (vestibule), changing room (apodyterium) or cold room (frigidarium). The eastern suite was most fully revealed. After changing the bather moved east or west into either of two possible warm rooms (tepidaria). It is likely that the rooms to the south of the tepidaria represent unheated plunge baths, particularly given the presence of a possible water drain exiting from the eastern one.
From the tepidarium bathers may then have progressed into the hot rooms (caldarium). The presence of scorched piers in the west facing section is likely to indicate the direction and perhaps proximity of a furnace room (praefurnium). An ancillary furnace which butted onto the north wall is likely to have boosted the supply of heat and potentially heated water for the hot baths. Furthermore, given the arrangement and relative dimensions of the caldaria, and location of the ancillary furnace, it seems likely that the room to the west of the caldaria contained a hot plunge bath. The apse, as noted in many Roman bathhouses, may once have held a raised washbasin known as a labrum.
Method of construction
The construction of the foundations, where they could be investigated, involved the excavation of a 1m deep trench. The base was then spread with flinty gravel for drainage and the foundation constructed of randomly coursed chalk or Kentish Rag stone and mortar.
The walls of the original build consisted of a rubble core with opus mixtum facing. The bond alternated between stone and tile or brick varying between two and four courses for both, but the height ratio was usually composed of two thirds stone and one third brick or tile. Where evident the rubble core comprised mortared flint, chalk and tile. The facing stone was mostly Kentish Rag although chalk, flint, Reigate stone and Septeria were also used.
The lacing courses included fragments of both brick and tile, almost entirely of local manufacture, although some examples are likely to have been sourced from Kent. The tile and brick was predominantly of 1st and 2nd century date and the fragmentary nature of the material indicates re-use. A considerable proportion of the building material used in Roman Britain was manufactured during the first two centuries. Late Roman structures were often largely built from tile and brick salvaged from earlier redundant structures supplemented, where necessary, with later tile. Bricks were generally more durable than the tiles with fragmented roof material not generally viable for re-use. It may be no coincidence, therefore, that late Roman fabrics appeared only in demolition deposits related to the roof of the bath-house.
Read about the Hypocaust System on Page 3.
|
