Another \"new\" Roman town in Devon

[66kbm]

I'm glad you like "Barry" Nathan, i did say a giggle, luckily enough i never saw him, just as well really as, even with my limited knowledge of 3rd/4th cent stuff, i would have ripped him apart, Exeter Uni for ya.
Kevin

[Robert Vermaat]

If they were anything like local villager Barry it's a good job they didn't try! illy:

Yikes!! :woot:

[66kbm]

Hi all
I am dragging this one up again. They have been digging for a few weeks now and have an open day on Sunday. This time I WILL get a photo of the Geophysics. Its still an on going site and will be for a number of years, Info posted when I can..
Kevin

http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/ipplepenblog/

[66kbm]

HI all
I am dragging this one up again as there will be many more digs on this site in the years to come. This year they have had several weeks digging and have an open day this Sunday coming/18 Aug. I will be attending to obtain as much info as poss. and this year I "WILL" get a photo of the Geophys of the area.
See here for this years digging.........http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/ipplepenblog/
Hopefully no "Barry" though.
Kevin

[66kbm]

Hi all
Visited the site today, unfortunately I was unable to take pics of the Geophys of the area. I can understand that as It is probably meant to help protect the site from unscrupulous metal detectorists etc. The open day was very busy with plenty to see, in archeological terms, not remains, and even managed a brief chat with the PAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme)...where any find of any era is reported and logged, the one and only Danielle Wooton,.....cooorrrrrrrrrr.
Sorry for that. I have stopped dribbling and will continue.The dig will be closing at the end of this week but will re=open in a different area next year. The Road and the graves are the next [priority.
Kevin

[66kbm]

Could not get Geophys but have overlaid Google Earth with the area covered. Now one can see why its important due to its size. It may be bigger.
One has to ask...it grew bigger in the 3rd/4th centuries.....why? There was a reason for that "community" lasting so long...local resources?
Also I found out today that no other metsal finds had been found on site, brooches etc of normal metallic waste. This leaves me to believe that the coinage found, admittedly, led to the site being found, that I think it was a coin hoard, dispersed by the plough There have been a few coin hoards found in the local vicinity over the years.
Still its a nice site and everyone does not get to look at the foundations of a Roundhouse very often.
Time for the Geophys area covered by the pic Within the area of black lines is the Geophys area.
[attachment=7800]Ipplendig.jpg[/attachment]

Kevin

[66kbm]

click pic for full extent.....laid to rest for another year.

[Robert Vermaat]

One has to ask...it grew bigger in the 3rd/4th centuries.....why? There was a reason for that "community" lasting so long...local resources?

Trading area? Refugees? Local elite site? Maybe too early for that.

[Vindex]

Market site? Meeting of roads? Didn't you say something about slate being in the area too? Or is that nearer the coast?

[Boreades]

Hi I've just joined this forum and hope I can contribute. I expect you all know the old orthodoxy that Roman settlements stopped at Exeter. But more and more places are being found in Devon and Cornwall. I've found these so far
1) Nanstallon, west of Bodmin
2) Restormel, near Fowey
3) Bere Ferrers, on the Devon side of the Tamar river
and now this one at Ipplepen

I've read that it was "standard operating procedure" for Roman miltary logistics to build at least a marching camp every 30Km or so, always at a place with a good water supply.

So I wonder what other Roman sites exist in Devon and Cornwall?

Not found or recognised yet, because people haven't looked? A lot of sites like Ipplepen date back to the Bronze age. Which makes sense. Regardless of whether you are a Bronze age tin trader or a Roman soldier, at the end of each day's travel, you needs somewhere safe to rest your feet and (at least) get water for you and your mules (or whatever livestock you are moving with)

[66kbm]

Sorry I am a bit slow in answering, old age creeping in.
@ Moi, yes, slate from the vicinity was found in Isca Dunomniorum, modern Exeter, but only from late second century onwards. The "so called" Roman road from Exeter to Teignbridge, possibly going onwards to this site, Margary route 491, as far as I know as I have been unable to find any more decent info on it, is undated. Military or Civilian? Time will tell. Personally I find it hard to believe that anyone used this route to Exeter when a very plausible route could have been taken by sea, hugging the coast, outwards from the Newton Abbot/Kingskerswell area, possibly a port/beaching area of some sorts, only a couple of mille from this site and proven to have Iron age pottery/1st cent Roman pottery and later, on the site of the new Kingskerswell bypass. See pic for site area.
@ Keith, firstly, welcome to the Forum and thank you for joining in. There are a few more that you have not mentioned but this thread relates to the Ipplepen site. This site was obviously in use for a very long time with "resources" of some description available to both the locals, pre invasion, and possibly the Military within their 20 year stay and the civil population when the Military left. There was a huge explosion of wealth for some reason around circa AD 300. This is proven from many Roman/Romano British sites across the country and here on this site due to the fact that so much coinage of that era was found. One can also see from the attached pics the close proximity of the river Teign. Google Earth images need to be used in conjunction with an OS map showing contours as this is very important.
I don't often type much but seem to have now, I will leave it there for the moment. Please continue to post if anyone has more info.
Kevin

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Sorry I am a bit slow in answering, old age creeping in.
@ Moi, yes, slate from the vicinity was found in Isca Dunomniorum, modern Exeter, but only from late second century onwards. The "so called" Roman road from Exeter to Teignbridge, possibly going onwards to this site, Margary route 491, as far as I know as I have been unable to find any more decent info on it, is undated. Military or Civilian? Time will tell. Personally I find it hard to believe that anyone used this route to Exeter when a very plausible route could have been taken by sea, hugging the coast, outwards from the Newton Abbot/Kingskerswell area, possibly a port/beaching area of some sorts, only a couple of mille from this site and proven to have Iron age pottery/1st cent Roman pottery and later, on the site of the new Kingskerswell bypass. See pic for site area.
@ Keith, firstly, welcome to the Forum and thank you for joining in. There are a few more that you have not mentioned but this thread relates to the Ipplepen site. This site was obviously in use for a very long time with "resources" of some description available to both the locals, pre invasion, and possibly the Military within their 20 year stay and the civil population when the Military left. There was a huge explosion of wealth for some reason around circa AD 300. This is proven from many Roman/Romano British sites across the country and here on this site due to the fact that so much coinage of that era was found. One can also see from the attached pics the close proximity of the river Teign. Google Earth images need to be used in conjunction with an OS map showing contours as this is very important.
I don't often type much but seem to have now, I will leave it there for the moment. Please continue to post if anyone has more info.
Kevin

Was it an explosion of wealth, or where there just a buttload of coins due to inflation?

[66kbm]

Hi Evan
It is a proven fact of the "explosion" of wealth in the 4th century AD from many/hundreds of sites here in the UK.
This era is not my really my "baby". Others will know better than me, but we are not talking about 100 years of Romano/British occupation on this site. We are talking about a community that stayed in situ for over 2000 years...........i'm no scholar but I find that ...Amazing.to say the least.. WHY?
Answers on a postcard to Kevin so I can make some money please....lol
Ta muchly.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I know there was a massive explosion of wealth after the Romans abandoned the site due to the alleviation of Taxes and the breakdown into quintessential city states that began around 410. I should note that the Roman governments in York, London, etc still maintained control over a large part of the provinces and stayed in contact with the government in Gaul until at least the 430's/440's

[66kbm]

Lets not concentrate on "Numismatics". It bypasses the questions posted earlier. I know that Numismatics had forgeries, false emperors and many other things over the years. I am not discussing that. A large Iron age assemblage/population that existed through into the late Roman period. Fact. Why? not known. For how long....known to some extent. The rest I'm working on.
Please bear in mind that I am an amateur.....serious amateur, just trying to put pieces of the enourmouse puzzle together.
I'm paid to drive trucks......
Kevin