Aiskew Roman Villa
Discovery
The villa was discovered in 2013 by a geophysical survey of the site in advance of construction of the Bedale, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar bypass. The site was excavated by Pre-construct archaeology. There was no prior indication of a villa at this site and Peter Rowe, North Yorkshire's County Archaeologist described the discovery as "a surprise, it was a shock". Only a small part of the villa complex was excavated during this scheme, with over 95% of it reportedly left undisturbed.
Interpretation
The site is close to the Roman road of Dere Street and is less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Cataractonium (Roman Catterick).
The villa is of the 'winged -corridor' type and has a long central range with a 'wing' at each end. It dates to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. One of the rooms at the north-east end included an opus signinum floor. A room with a hypocaust was also included at the north wing. Finds from the site include a silver stylus, a stamped amphora rim from north Africa, Nene Valley Colour Coated Ware, and samian ware. It was constructed over a pre-existing field system and an enclosure dating to the late Iron Age to early Roman period.
References
- ^ Historic England. "Aiskew Roman villa, 550m west of Aiskew Grange (1426407)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ Shepherd, John (2021). Before Bedale: Archaeological excavations along the route of the Bedale, Aiskew, and Leeming Bar Bypass. Pre-Construct Archaeology. pp. 32–54.
- ^ "95 per cent of Roman villa in North Yorkshire field is yet to be uncovered reveals archaeologist". Yorkshire Post. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Heated dining rooms and butchery: The robbed Roman villa found by archaeologists in Yorkshire". Culture24. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Founded in Prehistory". Roman Yorkshire: The Newsletter of the Roman Antiquities Section of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. Yorkshire Archaeological Society. 2023. p. 2-5.