Buried Roman Town Caistor Reveals Secrets

A Roman town that lies beneath open fields in Britain is giving up surprising secrets to researchers who are mapping the settlement, according to news from the University of Nottingham.

Located in northern East Anglia, the town of Caistor is revealing new details even as it remains buried underground. Researchers using a cesium vapor magnetometer have been able to develop a new high-resolution map of the community, including the layout of streets, water pipes and important public buildings.

"The results of the survey have far exceeded our expectations," said Will Bowden, a lecturer in Roman archeology at the University of Nottingham. "The presence of possible Iron Age and Saxon features suggests that the town had a much longer life than we previously thought and the fact that it's just sitting there in open fields instead of being under a modern town means we can ask the questions we want to. For an archaeologist it's a dream opportunity to really examine how European towns developed."

The high-tech survey suggests that the Roman-era Caistor was actually less crowded than once thought, with areas along outlying streets possibly used for grazing or farming. However, a large, semi-circular structure -- most likely a Roman theater -- found among the central buildings indicates the town enjoyed a certain level of status.

Researchers surveying Caistor have also found signs of architectural features that probably predate Roman times. Late Iron Age coins and metal pieces have been discovered on the site before, but this is the first confirmation of an established, pre-Roman settlement.

The survey also revealed a large, ditched enclosure that cuts across the Roman street grid, with possible buildings inside. That discovery suggests the town might have continued as a settlement after the Romans abandoned it sometime during the 5th century. If that proves to be true, Caistor might prove to be an important archaeological example of a community that existed in one form or another from the Iron Age until the 9th century.

"We are delighted with all the work which Dr. Bowden and his team are carrying out at Caistor," said Matthew Martin, chairman of the Norfolk Archaeological Trust, which owns the ancient town site. "We are very excited not only by what has been discovered so far by the use of this new technology but by the possibilities for more discoveries as further work is done. I think that all this is of immense interest to not only archaeologists but to a much wider public."

Researchers are now seeking funding to support a site excavation to confirm the survey's findings.

The University of Nottingham, "Stunning Survey Unveils New Secrets of Caistor Roman Town." URL: (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/public-affairs/press-releases/index.phtml?menu=pressreleases&code=STU-280/07&create_date=13-dec-2007)