The Roman House at Dorchester: Insights into Ancient Civilization

1. Dorchester Roman House By Tom Bolton

2. Dorchester Town • Romans defeated the tribe of the Durotriges, whose important base was Maiden Castle • Subsequently it developed as a civitas capital c.70 – 80 AD • Towns defences enclosed 70 – 80 acres (30 hectares) built c.130 AD • At first they were only earth banks and ditches and later in the fourth century a stone wall was built • Little archaeological evidence for public buildings except a large public bathhouse and a theatre • An aquaduct was also built from a source at Maiden Newton or Frampton

5. Plan • Situated on the extreme north-west corner of the Roman town in a hollow formed by a north facing slope and the north and west sections of the towns defences • Two separate ranges of the house • North-South and East-West

7. Building Technique • Walls are built on the natural chalk and are constructed of large roughly-knapped flints from the chalk frequently laid in herring-bone courses and bonded with courses and flat limestone slabs • Walls plastered on both sides • External faces painted in deep Pompeian red • Roofs covered with hexaganol limestone tiles • Evidence to suggest some rooms were two storyed

11. South Range • Fuel store or wash-kitchen • Infant Burial • Heated room with hypocaust

12. West Range • Evidence of a hypocaust system • Mosaic floors on rooms 8-18 • Many rooms were most likely two storey as evidence suggests their height was around 15 feet

14. Timber Buildings • Post holes found in excavation suggesting the existence of timber buildings • Two long rectangular buildings perhaps serving as fuel stores • Oven found to suggest its use as a kitchen

15. Room 8

16. Room 10

17. Winter Room 15