This paper examines the significance of seventeen later Bronze Age wells found during construction at Swalecliffe, in north-east Kent. The unusual depth of the features made for exceptional preservation of wooden structural elements, including steps and revetments, demonstrating rare evidence for woodworking and woodmanship. Extensive biological remains facilitated environmental reconstruction, and a lengthy dendrochronological sequence corroborates the internationally important Flag Fen chronology. Dendrochronological and radiocarbon dates demonstrate around 500 years of seemingly continuous use and replacement of wells. Votive deposits and apparatus used for water collection provide glimpses of small-scale ritual and domestic activities. The highly unusual concentration of wells is compared to contemporary sites regionally and elsewhere.

A initial, superficial occupation (Period I, c. A.D. 43) of the site probably reflects a Roman military base of the Conquest period. The first formal layout (Period II, c. 44-50) included a main east-west street, north of which lay a metalled area and two wooden structures separated by a north-south road, again almost certainly part of a military base. A large scale Claudian redevelopment (Period III, c. 50-60) relaid both the east-west road and the metalled area. In the angle formed by these lay at least three large timber-framed buildings, on an east-west axis and probably consisting of ranges of rooms, at least one frontal verandah and two semi-basements; two of these buildings were divided from the third by a minor east-west road. The framed walls were infilled with wattle, daub or brick, over wooden sleeper-plates supported on trenched piles. The floors were of clay, some roofs tiled and many walls painted, one four times. Water was piped along the principal road. The layout, still reminiscent of military work, probably reflects the initiation of the civilian town east of the Walbrook which set the permanent street-pattern for the eastern half of the city. All the buildings on the site were destroyed by the Boudiccan fire of A.D. 60. Piecemeal rebuilding (Period IV, c. 60-90) through the fire-debris moved the remetalled main east-west road marginally northwards and swung the axis about 3 0 eastwards. This work included the construction of the south and east ranges of a massive masonry building, with flanking ranges of rooms which must have dominated the centre of London. Covering about 360 ft. by 200 ft., an area of about i i acres, it was clearly a major public building, almost certainly used for administrative purposes; it is here described as the 'proto-forum'. Dumps of soil and rubbish immediately to the east were soon covered by a corner bakehouse containing ovens of more than one phase and by a road 12 ft. wide flanking the east side of the proto-forum. The whole site was next redeveloped (Period V, c. 90-100) for the grand forum-basilica complex, the largest in Britain. Designed and phased around the proto-forum, it respected the east-west road but swung the axis back to NEWGATEL UDGATE | CRIPPLEGATE ALDGATE CONJECTURED ROMAN WATERFRONT fcd 3 1 Abbreviations used in the text: finds are referred to by their appended specialist-report numbers as Coins (Coin Nos.), samian (Sam. Nos.), coarse pottery (CP Nos.), and small finds (SF Nos.) to encompass both those illustrated and not. Sections and layers are referred to as S and L respectively. F indicates a feature on the plan and ER indicates the museum excavationregister number.