Dedicating the town: urban foundation deposits in Roman Britain

Authors: Woodward, Peter¹; Woodward, Ann²

Source: World Archaeology, Volume 36, Number 1, March, 2004 , pp. 68-86(19)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

The foundation and birth of a Roman town would have been an important occasion, as well as a political event, both for the local tribal leaders and the imperial government. The processes of urban foundation and development are here explored by examining structured dedicatory deposits within Romano-British urban centres. Following the re-definition of a series of shaft deposits within the town of Dorchester ( Durnovaria ) as ritual, such repetitive deposits are considered within the context of the symbolism of Roman urban planning, and the dedication rites of the ancient world.

Keywords: Dedication; Foundation; Roman Town; Votive Deposits; Shafts; Symbolism

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/0043824042000192650

Affiliations: 1: Dorset County Museum, Dorchester 2: Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham

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