Continuity and Religious Practices in Roman Britain: The Case of the Rural Religious Complex at Marcham/Frilford, Oxfordshire

Abstract

This paper presents the interim results of Oxford University's on-going excavations at the Roman religious complex at Marcham/Frilford, Oxfordshire. This site has been the focus of debates about continuity from the Iron Age into the Roman period since the original excavations at the temple by Bradford and Goodchild in the 1930s. New findings from the current excavations are brought to bear on this question, in particular how the Iron Age activity influenced the design and layout of the Roman complex. In addition, the paper uses preliminary analysis of the finds from the excavations to discuss the nature of religious practices and activities at the site.

Forschungsbericht Römische Religion (2009– 2011)

“…A series of papers by W. van Andringa (in Moosbauer, Wiegels 2011, 219 -226;in North, Price 2011, 109 -138;and in Gruat, Pailler, Schaad 2011, 477-482) Romano-British archaeology also shows increased attention to reconstructing ritual action, as is evident in recent excavations conducted in Britain (e. g. Kamash, Gosden, Lock 2010). This paper, along with that by R. Hutton (2011), is concerned with connections between Roman period ritual and sites marked by significant religious activity in the Iron Age.…”

Beyond the Oppida: Polyfocal Complexes and Late Iron Age Societies in Southern Britain

“…early Roman villas) or as ritual foci (cf. Marcham: Kamash et al . 2010), their role as seasonal foci or social gathering places was no longer required or continued in different form.…”

A Possible Mid-Fourth-Century Altar Platform at Marcham/Frilford, Oxfordshire

“…Six examples of one length (50-54 mm) came from one of the major contexts and nine examples of a longer length (65-70 mm) came from the other two major contexts; there were four tegulae in total from these contexts that were of different lengths which may well have been representatives of the background dispersion of tegula fragments that was found throughout the Marcham site. We may therefore conclude that there were two phases of roof Kamash et al 2010, 100 argue that the site of the shrine was chosen, inter alia, due to its relationship to the two adjacent Iron Age pits that were visible at the time of its construction. If this is correct then this must have been early in the Romano-British history of the site as the pits would surely not have been visible after two hundred years of footfall across them.…”

“… 90 Kamash et al 2010 argue persuasively that the structure should more properly be described as a semi-amphitheatre.…”

“… 97 Kamash et al 2010, 100 argue that the site of the shrine was chosen, inter alia , due to its relationship to the two adjacent Iron Age pits that were visible at the time of its construction. If this is correct then this must have been early in the Romano-British history of the site as the pits would surely not have been visible after two hundred years of footfall across them.…”