Monument record MLI30018 - Mid 4th Century Roman Villa with Mosaics, Denton

Summary

A Roman villa dating to the mid 4th century including three mosaics.

Type and Period (3)

  • (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

A Roman villa of at least seven rooms, originally known through Stukeley's discovery of a mosaic (Neal and Cosh 48.1) in February 1727 following its reveal during ploughing in the field. Stukeley’s excavation was assisted by Madam Welby who owned part of the land along with local workmen who uncovered part of a room but were not able to ascertain the full extent. In 1800 W. Fowler sought to engrave and publish a drawing of the mosaic and on re-excavating it made the additional find of a second mosaic (Neal and Cosh 48.2). The first modern excavation was undertaken by J. Smith for the Ministry of Works between 1948 and 1949 {8} when it was threatened by ironstone workings. At that time the site was scheduled but was subsequently de-scheduled. Smith’s excavations recorded the history of the villa from its construction in the late third century as an aisled timber farmhouse, which was later rebuilt in stone at some point after c.370 based on coins found within the mortar of the mosaics (Gratian 367-383, and Valentinian I 364-375). Following the rebuilding in stone the aisles were subdivided into smaller rooms. In addition to the two previously known mosaics a third example (Neal and Cosh 48.3) was found, with the rest of the building having plain tessellated floors. At some point in the buildings history a central hearth was constructed. Finds recovered from the villa are of broadly domestic nature, with a small quantity of bowls, jars, and mortaria recorded in addition to a portion of amphora. Tweezers, two brooches, and two bone knife handles were also found. Ox, horse, sheep, pig, red deer, and dog bones were identified along with the remains of birds, oysters, mussels, whelk, and snails. The Lincoln Museum/City and County Museum, Lincoln has a representative sample of the finds and a reconstructed mosaic portion. Accession number 16.59; 51.61. The extant remains of the villa appear to have been reused for a small number of Saxon burials c.6th century (MLI30019). A contemporary bath house (MLI30020) has also been excavated c.100m southwest of the villa.

Sources/Archives (14)

  •  Index: SMR FILE. DENTON. -,1981, TMA.
  •  Index: OS CARD INDEX. DENTON. SK 83 NE 12,1965, BHS.
  •  Article in Serial: 1720. PHILOLOGICAL TRANSACTIONS. VOL7 P29.
  •  Article in Serial: 1949. ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS. VOL2 P189.
  •  Article in Serial: 1951. JOURNAL OF ROMAN STUDIES. VOL40 P100.
  •  Serial: 1889. ARCHAEOLOGICAL REVIEW. VOLIII P179.
  •  Article in Serial: TURNOR, E.. 1829. ARCHAEOLOGIA. VOL22 P28.
  •  Article in Serial: SMITH, J.T.. 1964. Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Reports and Papers. -.
  •  Article in Serial: Greenfield, Ernest. 1971. LINCOLNSHIRE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY. VOL 6 pp 29-58.
  •  Photograph: City and County Museum. Photograph in the Historic Environment Record files. -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Eleanor Scott. 1993. A Gazetteer of Roman Villas in Britain. p.120.
  •  Artefact: 1959. CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM COLLECTION 1959. LM16.59.
  •  Artefact: 1961. CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM COLLECTION 1961. LM51.61.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: D.S. Neal and S.R. Cosh. 2002. Roman Mosaics of Britain. pp 139-142.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 8758 3099 (147m by 147m) Estimated from Sources
Civil Parish DENTON, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (5)

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Record last edited

Jan 9 2025 3:21PM

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