Site-index
Mortars
Inscriptions
Roofing
Paving
Architectural
Occupation-sites
Contents of Database
The author's page
Columns, mouldings, veneers, and paving except
tesserae
© Copyright John Palmer.
This is work in progress, last updated 2021-08-26.
Please use this link
to send me comments and suggestions.
In Purbeck-
- name Norden PM fragment no.6
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: Fragment of sawn slab, 50 by 48mm, 11mm thick. One smooth
polished surface, one smooth surface, no finished edges. Period 7 (c.300),
gully 7.8 and 9.8.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.300AD (TAQ)
- comment The body of the monograph summarises the fragments of inlay,
which are called nos. 6-15 in the microfiche and here,
as follows: "Fragments of sawn PM slabs probably for inlay in wall or
floor, 4 triangular, 3 with curved edges, 1 polished, 5 partly polished,
some roughly smoothed".
The details in the microfiche and here show 10 pieces, of which
4 are triangular (7 8 11 13) (agrees in number with the above),
5 curved (9 10 12 13 14) (3 above),
2 polished (6 10) (1 above),
4 partly polished (9 11 14 15) (5 above).
The body of the monograph gives dates for 10 items:
2 C2, 6 late C2 to late C3, 2 from a dump dated after 296AD;
but the 10 listed here are 1 C2, 2 C3, 5 from the latter dump.
The details in the microfiche are to be preferred.
- comment The dates of these inlay items (nos.6-15, possibly 16-20 also)
refute Dunning, who believed
that PM in inlay was restricted to 1st-2nd cent.
- comment see also remarks
in the Unclassified section
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.7
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 7. Roughly triangular slab, 65 by 43mm, 11mm thick, with two
smooth surfaces but no worked edges. Period 6 (after 225?),
soil accumulation.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date 225+ AD (TAQ)
- comment see comment to Norden PM fragment no.6
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.8
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 8. Roughly triangular fragment with two smooth edges, 80 and
55mm long, forming the arms of a right angle; hypotenuse, c.90mm long, broken.
Upper and lower surfaces only roughly smoothed. Unpolished. Robber trenches
for Period 5 walls (trenches dated c.200-225).
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.225AD (TAQ)
- comment see comment to Norden PM fragment no.6
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.9
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 9. Fragment with curved outer edge, diameter of upper edge
c.300mm, and of lower edge, c.240-260mm; 22mm thick. Curved edge sawn and
undercut, with fine saw marks. Other edges broken, but approximately from
arms of a right angle. Upper surface smooth and partially polished; lower
surface smooth but not polished. Light saw marks. Period 7 (c.300),
dump of industrial waste.
Illus. p.36,
fig.24, no.9.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.300AD (TAQ)
- comment see comment to Norden PM fragment no.6
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.10
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 10. Fragment 23mm thick, with curved but not circular outer
edge. Outer edge worked, smooth, slightly undercut. Other two edges broken.
One surface smooth and polished, other smooth but not polished. Context
as for no.9.
Illus. p.36,
fig.24, no.10.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.300AD (TAQ)
- comment see comment to Norden PM fragment no.6
-
-
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.13
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 13. Roughly triangular frag. 16-18mm thick, with two sides
90 and 91mm long, forming arms of a right angle approxmiately, and with a
third side, 124mm long, curving inwards slightly. Corner left after cutting
a circle ? All three edges show signs of working, but none are finished.
Robber trenches (c.200-225) for Period 5 walls.
Illus. p.36,
fig.24, no.13.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.225AD (TAQ)
- comment see comment to Norden PM fragment no.6
-
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.15
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 15. Small fragment, max. surviving thickness 17mm, with broken
edges, and one smooth, partially polished surface.
Period 7 (c.300?) dump of indust. waste.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.300 (TAQ)
- comment see comment to Norden PM fragment no.6
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.16
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 16. Fragment of slab, roughly triangular in section, with
three smooth and partially polished surfaces, one broken surface, and one
particularly worked surface, with saw marks. Period 7 (c.300?), dump
of industrial waste.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date c.300AD? (TAQ)
- comment Fragments 16-20 are summarised in the body of the monography as
"5 fragments of PM: unfinished slabs and a block with
several worked edges, some curved."
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.17
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 17. Fragment of block with smooth surface, two partially
worked edges, and one edge with trace of working, 20-38mm thick.
Disturbed rubble, described under Period 6 (after 225?)
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date 225+AD? (TAQ)
- comment see comment to fragment 16 above
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.18
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 18. Fragment with one smooth and partially polished surface,
one edge roughly curved, diameter c.260mm; no fully worked edge. 125mm by
30mm by 80mm thick.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date 225+AD? (TAQ) (same context as no.17)
- comment see comment to fragment 16 above
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.19
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 19. Fragment, max. thickness 90mm, with one smooth surface;
its edges curved, though only partially worked. Small, smooth area on
otherwise rough surface.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date 225+AD? (TAQ) (same context as no.17)
- comment see comment to fragment 16 above
-
- name Norden PM fragment no.20
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.36ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: 20. Fragment 180mm long, with one smooth, partially polished
surface, and one tooled, curved edge; other surfaces broken. Robber trench
(c.200-225) for Period 5 walls.
Illus. p.36,
fig.24, no.20.
- loc DORCM
- subst Thomas: PM
- date 200-225AD (TAQ)
- comment see comment to fragment 16 above
- comment This item, and no.19 above, are alluded to in the body of the
monograph (p.37) in connnection with
two rubbers found
by PA Brown,
but the microfiche entries nos.19 and 20 clearly do not refer to these
rubbers.
-
-
- name Norden Limestone fragment
- site Norden, Corfe Castle, 1968-9
- grid SY 957 827
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.37ff
and microfiche 7
- desc Thomas: Fragment of fine-grained limestone, with smooth, curved outer
edge, and almost smooth base. Slight tool marks on base. Other surfaces
unfinished. Architectural fragment ? Period 4 (road, c.140)
- loc DORCM
- subst PL ?
- date c.140AD (TAQ)
-
-
- name Bucknowle column base
- site Bucknowle villa, 1981
- grid SY 954 815
- source Field 1982
- publ Light and Ellis 2009 p.120 and fig.59 p.121
- desc 1982: Column base in Purbeck stone of a type recorded at
the Colliton Park town-house.
- desc 2009: 17. Limestone column base, SF 384, fill of room 3.10, period 6
- desc two other column bases reported, but these are little more than pads:
16. Ironstone column base, SF 388, beneath Building 1 in subsidence over
ditch F1, period 4
18. Limestone column base, SF 1063, fill of posthole in four-post
structure F341, period 4
- subst PL
- date site period 6, late/post-Roman to medieval
- comment This might be the object in the
Langton Museum slideshow
-
- name Langton Museum 'slideshow' column
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Purbeck, 'a villa in Purbeck' (slideshow commentary)
- source Slideshow at Langton Matravers Museum, 2008-08-11 (and long before that)
- desc Introductory slideshow with commentary, shown to visitors to the
Museum. One slide shows what looks like the square base of a round column,
described in the commentary as 'capital of a column from
a villa in Purbeck, now in Dorset County Museum' and implied by context
to be PM. (If a capital, it is shown upside-down.)
- loc allegedly Dorset County Museum
- subst uncertain, but fairly surely PL
- date supposedly Roman
- comment Might be the
Bucknowle column but could be
from Brenscombe or
East Creech
- cont Reg Saville
-
- name Mrs Panton's Column
- site Church Knowle
- grid SY 94 81
- source RCHM 1970,
2 pt.3 p.595 (no. 57)
- publ Anon (Mrs J E Panton) 1909, Fresh Leaves and Green
Pastures, with drawing. Figure in RCHM op. cit.. Photo at RHCM.
- desc Tuscan column about 4ft high
apparently of Purbeck stone
- loc formerly at house of Mr Pike in Parkstone, 1869
- subst PL by hearsay
- comment This is the "Church Knowle column" of
Blagg 2002
- comment see reference to column from
Creech Villa, which
is clearly the same
-
- name Knitson Farm cylinder
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Provenance unknown
- grid SZ 005 807 (present location)
- source Mark Helfer, pers. comm. 2004-06-28
- desc Cylindrical piece of gastropod limestone.
Photos (by JP):
End view,
Side view.
- loc Knitson Farm, Langton Matravers
- subst probably PM
- date unknown
- interp JP: perhaps a fragment of a column;
others have suggested a saddle-quern rubber,
but though it may have been used at some time for abrasive purposes,
it seems too cylindrical
- comment RB occupation nearby at
Windmill Knap
- cont Mark Helfer
Dorset (excl. Purbeck and Cranborne Chase)-
- name Colliton Park doorstep
- site Dorchester, Colliton Park I
- grid SY 690 909
- publ Drew and Selby 1937
- publ Durham and Fulford 2014
- desc Drew-Selby: Purbeck limestone doorstep.
The door between rooms 14 and 15 has a heavy step of Purbeck stone.
(See remarks on
the Kingston altar.)
(Room 15 is the high one, thought to be the height of 2 storeys).
Bonding courses in walls were of limestone 'probably from Upwey'
- subst PL
- date Room 15 added ?early C3?
- comment The Kimmeridge shale chairleg was found in room 17 (with
the irregular hypocaust).
- comment Ham Hill stone and Portland stone at entrance to room 7
-
- name Colliton Park Portland columns
- cat RELATED
- site Dorchester, Colliton Park
- source
Williams 1971 app.III
- publ
Drew CD, Collingwood Selby KC 1938
- publ
Durham and Fulford 2014
p.39, 47, 49,
illus. fig.51 p.47, fig.93 p.89
- desc Williams: `Portland stone columns, Ham stone bases'
but in Drew's report the Ham bases (p.59) support timber structure and there
is no mention of Portland columns
- desc Durham and Fulford p.39: `a well was found .. the upper 6m .. filled with debris from the demolition of [the Town House] but below that the remains of nine Portland stone columns were recovered'; photo p.47; typical drawing p.89
- loc Durham and Fulford p.xx: DORCM 1937.70
- loc Some of these on display 2015 Dec. in DORCM archaeology gallery, case 33 and (probably) house interior tableau d
- subst Portland stone (PS)
- date 3rd-4th cent
- comment The column in case 33 is surely no.2 (from left) in the photo on
p.47 of Durham and Fulford;
that on the right of tableau d, almost as surely no.1;
that on the left might be no.4 except I wasn't able to find
the crack shown in the photo in the object on display.
- comment The restoration of the house includes one limestone
column (not shelly)
-
-
- name Dorchester Hospital 1969 moulding
- site Dorchester Hosp (Somerleigh Court), 1969
- grid SY 690 904 approx
- source Greene 1993 p.95-6
- desc Stone by PS Bellamy and Jo Draper: Purbeck Marble:
one piece of architectural moulding (fig.16 no.49 shows a complex profile
with four edges and four reentrants) in rubble layer 3/7 (phase 5, late Roman);
lighter and less green than usual for PM and is possibly weathered, although
the mouldings are very crisp. Mouldings of PM not previously found in
Dorchester. Prob. from the town house imperfectly excavated in 1880s
just to the N of the [present] excavations. Length (from fig.) c.120mm
- subst PM
- date late C4
- comment see Paving section for other finds from the town house
-
- name Dorchester Hospital 1969 slab
- site Dorchester Hosp (Somerleigh Court), 1969
- grid SY 690 904 approx
- source Greene 1993 p.95-6
- desc Stone by PS Bellamy and Jo Draper: Purbeck Marble:
small rectangular slab 90 by 40mm by 32mm thick, one very smooth face.
Not illus. Probably part of floor inlay, though might be an inscription
from its thickness (Beavis 1970 p.196-7).
Cf. similar pieces from Greyhound Yard,
interpreted as decorative flooring
(Woodward et al. 1993 p.171).
- subst PM
- comment see Paving section for other finds from the town house
-
- name Greyhound Yard PL fragments
- site Dorchester, Greyhound Yard 1981-4
- grid SY 693 906
- publ Bellamy PS, in
Woodward PJ 1993 p.168-172
- desc Mostly from Roman buildings, most of PL with a few
examples of PS
- desc Columns: 5 fragments all prob. from RB buildings:
Broken shaft reused as a pila base (not illus.);
shaft section reworked into a trough, oolitic, may be PS, C3;
shaft section reworked into a lid for the foregoing, same subst. and date;
column base moulding, oolitic, may be PS, late C4
- desc Dressed stone blocks, 13 recorded, 2 illustrated
5. Composite pedestal from pillar or pilaster. PS, late C4
6. Dressed frag with mortice.
Ostracod limestone, lower PL, late C4
- desc Stone roof tiles. Mostly very fragmentary. Only 10
complete enough to describe. All of Middle Purbeck limestone except
one which may be lower Lias. All lozenge-shaped. Length 320-515mm
breadth 225-320mm, either 1 or 2 holes, single hole either central or offset.
This item also in Roofing section
- desc Floor surfaces: various materials incl:
mid-grey: limestone ?Purbeck
light grey: ostracod microsparite, limestone (Purbeck);
light grey: sparry biomictrite limestone containing ooliths and
possible faecal pellets (PL or PS ?)
- desc Stone counters (by Woodward): chalk and various limestones.
the latter finegrained and oolitic types, prob `Purbeck Portland', perhaps
between Portesham and Worbarrow.
This item also in Portable
section.
- subst Ensom: PL mostly
- comment Petrological identification by Paul Ensom; see also
PM fragments from this site
-
- name Greyhound Yard PM fragments
- site Dorchester, Greyhound Yard 1981-4
- grid SY 693 906
- publ Bellamy PS, in
Woodward PJ 1993 p.168-172
- desc PM polished inlays: 5 flat slabs of PM with a polished face
and straight sides. All too small to determine the original shape and size.
15-66mm thick, likely to be paving. 3 in late C1/early C2 deposits,
one from a C3 backfill to a pit, one incorporated into a wall of a
late C4 building. All likely to come from buildings on the E frontage.
- loc DORCM, reserve coll. bay 157(L54) shelf A, site W67; acc.no 1985.31.40 according
to list, 1985.31.25 according to box label; box 1122/SF or 1132/SF 1934 (1622);
finds numbers 1799 or 1749, 1688, 1694 or 1695, 1687, 3916, 646, 2278, 1689,
819, 1684; ?context 102
- subst Ensom: PM
- comment Petrological identification by Paul Ensom; see also
PL fragments from this site
-
- name Charles Street PM (four frags)
- site Charles Street, Dorchester (Acland St carpark) 1989-90
- grid SY 6935 9045
- source K Knowles pers.comm.
- publ Adam J 1990
- publ
Davies SM, Farwell D 1989
- desc
``
2) Broken, worked stone slab of Purbeck Marble, with two sawn smooth
surfaces and one smooth worked edge, it also has one sawn incised groove
parallel to the worked edge (c 50mm from the worked edge). Dimensions
90 x 80mm and 16mm thick, 203g.
Late Roman soil accumulation 56/00/01. [context 2300]
3) Broken, worked stone slab of Purbeck Marble, with two smooth sawn
surfaces and two smoothed worked edges at right angles to one another.
Dimensions 120 x 65mm and 19mm thick, 237g.
Late Roman soil accumulation 56/00/01. [context 2300]
4) Broken, worked stone slab of Purbeck Marble (two pieces join
together), with one smooth side and one smooth almost polished side, its
one worked edge reveals vague saw marks. Dimensions 175 x 140mm and
20mm thick, 386g.
Late Roman floor foundation 56/04/01. [context 2261]
5) Broken, worked stone slab of Purbeck Marble, both sides are smooth
with one smooth worked edge. Dimensions 115 x 78mm and 23mm thick, 367g
Late Roman floor foundation 56/04/01. [context 2261]
''
- loc DORCM, 1996.31 : archive boxes 501--611 and 615, finds bays 145(L42)--149(L46)
- subst K Knowles: PM
- date Late Roman
- comment These items are not specifically mentioned in the articles
cited above, but appear in a petrological report (1991) by K Knowles on
items from this dig
- comment see also roofing
and non-PM fragments
(early Roman),
(late Roman), and
(doubtful)
from the same excavation
- cont
Kathryn Knowles, U. Southampton
-
- name Jordan Hill Capital
- site
Jordan Hill Temple,
Preston near Weymouth
- grid SY 6989 8201
- source Beavis p.201
- source Beavis p.201
- source
RCHM (Dorset inventory) p. 616
(same in 1970 ed., no.445)
- publ - Warne 1872, Ancient Dorset 225-229
- publ - Hanford HC 1844
- publ Drew CD 1931
- publ Drew CD 1932
- desc Drew: Purbeck marble column capital found loose near N. wall,
column estimated about 5ft high
- desc Beavis: A capital and base are at DORCM but the capital is PM and
the base is another limestone
- desc Hanford's plan
shows the position of the DORCM capital and base
- loc Dorset County Museum
- subst Drew, Beavis: PM
- date coin of Theodosius I (379--95)
- date
Coins and pottery indicate occupation principally in 4th--5th cent
- comment Site discovered by James Medhurst 1843
-
- name Hemsworth Floor Tiles
- site Hemsworth, Dorset
- grid ST 97 07
- publ Engleheart GH 1909,
p.1-12
- desc a large floor of alternate 7 1/2 inch squares of hard grey
limestone and black Kimmeridge shale ... ``I believe one of our English
cathedrals contains some paving of cannel-coal''
- subst source of grey limestone not identified
- comment see also mosaics
from same site
-
Cranborne Chase
Hampshire-
- name Silchester Basilica Front
- site Silchester, Basilica
- grid SU 64 62
- publ Boon GC 1957 p.97
- publ Joyce JG 1881a p.359
- publ Hope and Fox 1893
- desc Boon: facing to south tribunal of Basilica
- desc Joyce: `.. front of tribunals within the apses were ..
faced by thin slabs of polished PM, secured .. by small iron clamps, and
in all prob. bearing inscriptions. Some small pieces .. remained fixed
against the vertical face of the tribunal at the S end, the iron clamps when
first exposed retaining their hold'
- desc Hope and Fox p.556: quotes Joyce above, then `in the museum on the
site .. parts of a thin band 2 3/4in wide of PM, with mitring .. portions
of PM mouldings in the Museum seem to come from the same spot .. rudely
worked and evidently belonging to the late state of the Basilica'. Pl.39
nos. 9, 10, 11 show sections of the mouldings
- desc Hope and Fox p.561: 3 pieces of PM which fit together to form
a large slab with moulded edge; no lettering
- loc Hope and Fox: now at Reading
- subst Boon, Joyce, Hope and Fox: PM
- comment Hope and Fox p.564 has the first mention of the `church',
PM not mentioned; but see under
Paving
in this database
-
- name Silchester Ogam Pit Slab
- site Silchester Ins.IX, 1893
- grid SU 64 62
- publ
Fox and Hope 1894 p.238
- publ
Fox 1895
- desc 1894: from the same pit .. which yielded the Ogam inscription ..
a large and perfect slab of PM .. see our next report
- desc 1895: slab mentioned in last report is 3ft by 1ft 11 3/4in by
4 3/4in. `Surface so perfect as to permit of being repolished.' At one end
there is on each side the hole for a metal cramp or dowel, 7/8in sq. and
5in and 4 3/4in long respectively. Each terminates in a round hole, 2in
in depth from the edge of the slab. No illustration. No other PM
- subst PM
- comment Hilton Price FG, Archaeol. 50 268-71 mentions
no PM; see also - Coles J, Archaeol. 27 418, short account of
1833 excav., also Kempe AJ 1833, Gent. Mag. February
-
-
- name Silchester Scattered Veneer
- site Silchester
- grid SU 64 62
- source Beavis p.202
- publ Boon GC 1957 p.150
- publ Boon GC 1974 p.213
- desc Boon 1957: fragments of marble linings `scattered about the town'
- desc Boon 1974 p.213: `the native PM was by far the commonest material
employed for wall-cladding and interior moulded work, but again the
evidence for its use in houses is very meagre'
- subst Boon: PM
-
-
- site Silchester 1889
- grid SU 64 62
- publ
Fox and Hope 1890 p.747
- desc several pieces of worked PM, from wall linings and one
probable paving slab, near Temples near Parish Church
- subst PM
-
- site Silchester 1889
- grid SU 64 62
- publ
Fox and Hope 1890 p.749
- desc northern temple: frags from Purbeck beds found
incorporated into the floor
- subst PL
-
- site Silchester
- grid SU 64 62
- publ Fox GE 1892 p.265
- desc after noting a piece of foreign marble, remarks
``in this country the RB seemed to have a great partiality
for PM, and when this cd not be obtained the nearest quarries offering
a stone of fine texture and agreeable colour were used, eg. Aswalton
marble at Chesterton near Castor (Artis)''
- subst PM
-
- site Silchester 1891
- grid SU 64 62
- publ
Fox GE 1892 p.282
- publ Hope 1906 p.155
refers back to this and suggests that a marble-mason may have had his shop
here
- desc 2 pieces of mouldings of PM, from the same spot as
RIB 76
- subst PM
-
- site Silchester 1908
- grid SU 64 62
- publ Hope WHStJ 1909
- desc a number of pieces of marble wall-linings found in
turning Joyce's spoil-heaps
- subst PM
Isle of Wight
Wiltshire
Sussex-
- name Fishbourne PM floortiles
- site Fishbourne
- grid SU 84 05
- source Beavis p.201
- publ Cunliffe 1962 p.18
and 1963 p.7
- desc Floortiles: Mottled grey fragments of PM
- subst PM
-
- name Fishbourne Palace, general
- site Fishbourne, Sussex
- grid SU 84 05
- source Scott 1988, WS19
- source Beavis p.202
- publ Wilson DR, Wright RP 1962 p.189
- publ Cunliffe 1963
- publ Cunliffe 1971
- publ Cunliffe 1974
- publ Clarke G 1982 check
- publ Peacock and Williams 1995
- desc [veneer] Pre-Flavian and Flavian
- desc Cunliffe: `a vast variety of expensive marbles' including:
Guernsey diorite; Côte d'Or; Carrara; Pyrenees; Haute Garonne;
Serravezza, Tuscany; Skyros; Laconian; Balikesir (Turkey); Phrygian.
Purbeck also present.
- desc Quotations from
Cunliffe 1974, p.108:
`While most of the rooms were painted to represent marble inlay one
at least, room N7, was inlaid with real marble in a large panel or
series of panels ... A wide range of marble was employed including ...
Purbeck marble (a blue highly fossiliferous limestone) and a grey
siltstone probably also from ... Purbeck.'
- desc Peacock and Williams cast doubt on the provenance of some of the
supposedly foreign marbles;
and identify what Cunliffe calls `mudstone of Mediterranean origin'
as burned Kimmeridge shale
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, Neronian builders' yard
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971p. 17 fig.7 1-7
- desc
``Amid the rubble and chippings on the floor ... were found
seven fragments of mouldings carved from blocks of PM ... which had
broken during manufacture or ... left unfinished. Parts of two of the
pieces ... had evidently been sawn up for reuse.''
- subst PM
-
- name Fishbourne Neronian opus sectile
- site Fishbourne, Neronian builders' yard
- grid SU 84 05
- source Beavis p.202
- publ Cunliffe 1963a
- publ Cunliffe 1971
- desc Cunliffe 1963 p.7 and pl.III:
various bits of unfinished stone inlay for
opus sectile floor and perhaps walls
- desc Cunliffe 1971 p.24:
``... a small amount of the marble waste seems to have derived from the
production of thin slabs for wall inlay. PM was commonly used for this
purpose, together with lesser quantities of Pouilleny Rose ... No used
slabs of marble wall inlay have been found in First-Period [Neronian,
proto-palace] contexts, suggesting ... that the quantity employed
cannot have been large.''
- desc Cunliffe 1971 p.33:
Opus sectile elements of Blue stone, stated to be PM:
4 squares, 42 triangles, 6 kites, 1 octagon, 99 wide strips
- desc Cunliffe 1971 fig.18 p.35:
Opus sectile elements include blue PM:
6 squares or near-square rectangles, 2 triangles, 1 trapezium
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, Neronian builders' yard
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.40 pl.ix no.15
- desc
`15. Slab of PM inscribed with arc of a circle, to which a series of
inscribed triangles are pendant.'
- subst PM
-
- name Fishbourne N10 inlay shapes
- site Fishbourne, Flavian palace, room N10
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.28 table 3
- desc Purbeck marble wall inlay, cut into distinctive shapes,
covering in all 2562 sq.cm. 7.04m total edges,
being 14.6% of total area of wall inlay [from room N10]
- subst PM
-
- name Fishbourne N10 inlay slabs
- site Fishbourne, Flavian palace, room N10
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe 1971 p.28 table 3
- desc Purbeck marble wall inlay, as slabs,
covering in all 3781 sq.cm. 13.08m total edges,
being 21.66% of total area of wall inlay [from room N10]
- subst PM
-
- name Fishbourne N10 mouldings
- site Fishbourne, Flavian palace, room N10
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe 1974, p.108
- desc 1974: `Room N10 also provided evidence for ... marble mouldings
carved from white Turkish ... and blue Purbeck marble ... The Purbeck mouldings
tended to be heavier than those carved from the Turkish, suggesting that
they served as vertical members framing doorways or recesses, while the ...
Turkish mouldings were used as horizontal cornices across the top.
This view is supported by examination of the ... attachment ... the
Purbeck ... were simply mortared in ... the Turkish ... showed
signs of being clamped to the wall with small iron hooks ...'
- desc Peacock and Williams 1995
doubt (but do not yet disprove) the Turkish origin of the white marble
- loc Fishbourne Museum
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, destruction levels of Flavian palace
- site 15. N wing, W side of courtyard 2
- site 16. N wing, room N10
- site 17. Aisled Hall, S half
- site 18. Immed. W of N wing
- site 19. N wing, E side of courtyard 2
- site 20. Unstratified, from modern builders' work
- site 21. N wing, room N1
- site 22. NW corner of garden
- site 23. N wing, S end of corridor N24
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 fig.7-10
- desc 1971: Side mouldings in PM; lack of clamp holes suggests basal
or vertical position. 9 pieces (listed above).
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, destruction levels of Flavian palace
- site 24. Apsidal recess at N end of corridor backing W wing
- site 25. N wing, room N9
- site 26. N wing, W side of courtyard 2
- site 27. N wing, room N10
- site 28. N wing, room N10
- site 29. N wing, S half of room N12
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.24 fig.11
- desc Inlaid panels of PM. 6 fragments (listed above)
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, destruction levels of Flavian palace
- site 38. Rubble layers covering E wing
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.24 pl.vi(b) no.38
- desc
`Slab of PM, now badly rotted. The exposed surface was
carved with shallow mouldings enclosing adjacent panels.''
- desc From illustration, about 7 by 10in.
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, late rubbish levels W of W wall of N wing
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe 1971 p.40, fig.23, pl.ix
- publ
Cunliffe 1974 p. 108
- desc
`1. Fragment of a slab of PM 9.0cm thick, with leaves carved in positive
relief on the upper surface...Top edge neatly cut so that the slab could
join another...Apparently belongs to a feature of monumental proportions
but [very little survives].'
- desc
``One unique piece of Purbeck marble was carved on its upper surface with
somewhat stylised leaves. ...it was evidently part of a large and
important panel...there is no indication of its form or original position.''
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, rubble layer N of W wing
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.41 pl.ix no.6
- desc
``6. Shallow `tray' cut into a slab of PM. The `rim' is carefully polished
but the inside is coarsely pecked with a chisel. It is possible that the
recess was intended to be set with marble sheeting of a different kind.''
- subst PM
-
- cat frags
- site Fishbourne, E end of Aisled Hall in rubble layer
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.39 fig.22 no.2
- desc
`2. Slab of PM 7.8cm thick. Two faces carefully smoothed and the upper face
hollowed to a depth of 3.5cm. In plan the hollow appears semicircular but
the slab has been sawn across at a later date.'
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, bypass site
- grid SU 841 048
- source RB in 1985, Britannia 17 (1986) p.423
- desc An E--W ditch yielded 5 large complete ceramic pipes, possibly
the palace's water supply. The ditch had been timber-lined; the backfill
yielded many masons' rejects of Sussex [marble] and PM
- subst PM, Sussex Marble
-
- site Angmering villa, W Sussex
- grid TQ 07 04
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987 p.39ff
- source Rivet ALF 1969 p.265
- publ Scott L 1938
- publ 1939, Sussex Arch Coll 80 89 no PL mentioned
- publ 1943, Sussex Arch Coll 83 xxi page of accounts!
- publ Keef PAM 1945, Sussex Arch Coll 84 83-107;
p107 Stone by KP Oakley; no PL
- publ Wilson AE 1947, Sussex Arch Coll 86 1-21
no PL mentioned
- desc Thomas: Opus sectile in PM
- desc Scott 1938 p.15: opus sectile including
Sussex marble and the Italian
stone reported by KP Oakley [at the end of the article]; including a
large octagonal piece of Sussex Marble 1ft across
(complete, photograph shown), too heavy for a wall[-facing],
probably pavement.
No PL mentioned
- subst More likely Sussex marble
Kent-
- cat veneer
- site Folkestone, Kent
- grid TR 23 36
- source E. Scott
- source Clarke G 1982
- publ Winbolt, S. E. (1925) Roman Folkestone, p. 109
- desc opus sectile of marble
(provenance not stated by Scott)
- subst unspecified marble
- date Occupation material 1st cent. to 350 AD
-
- name Richborough fragments
- cat veneer
- site Richborough
- grid TR 32 60
- publ Dunning GC 1968, The Stone Mortars
in Fifth Richborough Report p110-114
- desc 3 frags of veneer of PM; one
(pl.LXV,1) in inner ditch
of Claudian camp (Fourth Report, 11--18) is evidence of early exploitation;
part of another
((pl.LXV,2 and photo by R. Cobbett)
in inner ditch with rabbetted edges and a right-angle corner, in
lower occupation layer of area XIX dated before 85AD;
third was 2 small slabs, one polished, in lowest filling of pit 54, filled in
in 4th cent (Third Report, 70), possibly derived from the superstructure
on the great masonry foundation. ... In 1865 (Fifth Report, p.40 ff.) several
slabs of polished PM were found which almost certainly were part of
the facing of this monument; Dowker G 1872, Arch.Cant 8 p.1 ff,
as quoted by D. E. Strong in Fifth Report p.44--45, "found more fragments
of the white marble mouldings and facings .. large quantities of
sculptured marble". Strong says the fragments of the mouldings are still
(1968) in Maidstone museum. Strong on Facing (Fifth Report p.64--68)
doesn't mention PM.
- desc in 1952 a piece of PM slab was found embedded in the surface
of the flange of the Great Foundation on the SW side, 6 1/2 by 6 by 2in.
- desc Drawings, photos (R. Cobbett)
- desc Roly Cobbett
mentions (Feb. 2012):
`The excavation book for 1924/5 (numbered Book No. 3 in our archive),
on p.22 records finds from "NW of Site 1, layer 2, in Pit". ...
Under MARBLE, along with other marble pieces, it records:
"Purbeck cut[?] slab 1".
The date given for this deposit is "II century".'
Slab tentatively identified with one of the "2 small slabs" mentioned above,
since Pit 54 is roughly NW of Site 1.
- loc Strong, 1968: Maidstone Museum; Roly Cobbett: store at Dover Castle
- subst PM
- date Some are Claudian; one 2nd cent.
- comment re 'cut[?]' above, Roly Cobbett now (2021-08-11) considers 'cut' to be the most plausible reading of the MS.
-
-
- name Canterbury PM
- site Canterbury, `Marlowe sites'
- grid TR 15 57
- publ Blagg TFC 1984 p.70
- publ - forthcoming, according to
Peacock and Williams 1995
p. 357: Blagg TFC, stone from the Cakebread and the Marlowe sites
- desc `Marlowe sites, adjacent to Roman theatre and baths,
include Purbeck and Hastings marble'
- desc `Hastings marble' at Cakebread and Robey site in Canterbury;
identified by Martyn Owen, Geol Mus
- subst PM
- comment `Hastings marble' is presumably from
the PL outcrop in
E Sussex
- comment see also an item
of non-mosaic Paving
-
- name Canterbury Paving
- site Canterbury, yard of former Fleur de Lys Hotel
- grid TR 15 58
- publ Taylor MV 1956 (RB in 1955) p.144
- publ Ling R 1997 p.284
- desc JRS: excav by Sheppard Frere. A tesselated pavement much
disturbed. In the Roman débris were ... Purbeck and other polished
stones incl. cornice-pieces in white marble (PM not stated to have come
from the pavement)
- desc PM from Dorset
- date JRS:
little evidence of early occupation; otherwise uncertain
- comment see also another entry
in the Architectural section
London-
- name Pritchard's Museum of London study
- cat review
- site London
- grid TQ 33 81
- publ Pritchard FA 1986
- publ Cited by Peacock and
Williams 1995 p.355
- desc Study of 212 fragments of inlays, slabs and cornices in
Museum of London. Inscriptions, statuary and `architectural features such
as column-drums and capitals' excluded. From 44 different locations in
London. Only 1 found in situ, a slab of PM 0.7 by 0.4m placed on the bottom
of the apsidal-end plunge-bath at Pudding Lane. (JP: this may be any of
1,
2, or
3.)
- desc
Opus sectile for floors: Fig (table) 6:
5-12 Fenchurch St (FEN 83),
PM uncertain shape, 23mm thick, leanto building, 70-150AD;
Bucklersbury House site, Walbrook,
PM `square' 78 by 73mm 28mm thick, from barrel-lined well 70-90AD, Fig 5 no 5;
28-32 Bishopsgate (BOP 82),
PM ?equilateral triangle 165mm side 14mm thick, from pit, 100-120AD, Fig 5 no 1
- desc Veneers for walls: Fig 7 nos 13-18 (6 pieces), p.182.
Curved, rounded and kite-shaped elements including
incomplete hexagonal slab
from 132-7 Upper Thames St
- desc Cornices and moulded slabs: Fig 11 and p.182;
4 cornices in PM, 9 moulded slabs some of PM and some of coarsegrained
white marble; Fig 11 56-63 show 8 pieces of PM, 2 with dowel holes,
including
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
and maybe others in
Champion 2000)
- desc Pritchard, discussion p.185: evident that PM was being imported
to London for use in buildings before 70AD
- desc Pritchard p.186: table of ornamental
stones from London, also quoted by Pritchard and Williams, figures
from the latter source: PM: c1:12 pieces; C2:13; C2+:8; C3:22; C3+:1; C4:0;
Roman:9; Post-Roman:6; total:71; PM as proportion of all speciments, 32.12
per cent.
- loc Museum of London
- subst PM
- date 1st-3rd cent
- comment The range of types of British stones continue without
change into 3rd cent (contra Dunning: JP)
- cont Frances Pritchard
-
-
- name 30 Gresham St PM-faced pier
- site London, 20-30 Gresham St, 2000-2001
- grid TQ 33 81
- source http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/MOLsite/news/greshamst/pages/siteDetails.asp?siteid=ght00 seen 2004-06-18
- desc "Excavations along the eastern side of 20-30 Gresham Street ...
revealed a rectangular opus signinum pier base,
the upper portion of which was surrounded with edge-laid sheets of
Purbeck Marble.
It is probable that this feature formed part of colonnade around the two
walls found further east during the 1959-60 redevelopment.
These foundations possibly formed part of an early Roman civic building,
possibly a temple. Dating evidence now suggests that this building
was constructed between c AD 70-100." This site also includes the
famous bucket-chain engines for raising water.
- loc Museum of London, site GHT00
- subst PM
- date 70-100 AD
- comment see other Gresham Street PM finds:
basin presumably from
this site, and mouldings
(1,
2)
from other sites in the street.
-
- name Bow (London) PM floor
- site London, Bow, 568a Roman Road, E3, 2005
- grid TQ 36680 83403
- source Burnham et al. 2006
- desc Pieces of Purbeck marble flooring [indicate] a well-appointed building.
Excavation by MoLAS
- loc Mus of Lond?
- subst PM
- date Roman
- interp buildings of high status
-
- name Union St Southwark PM fragments
- site London, Southwark, 33 Union Street, site USS03, 2003
- grid TQ 3242 8000 (measured from published map)
- source James Gerrard, pers. comm
- publ Gerrard J 2009
- desc Fragments of Purbeck marble veneer,
Kimmeridge cementstone
tesserae, a ?Kimmeridge cementstone column base and a
block of Kimmeridge shale.
All material probably derived from demolition of a first century
high status building possibly a bathhouse. Also imported marbles
and glass tesserae.
A similar suite of material (including 2 PM veneer frags) was recorded from
27-29 Union St by MoLAS (UNE03) according to Ian Betts (pers. comm. to
JG). See also Crowley 2005
- desc Gerrard 2009 table 1: 22 pieces of decorative stone, dumped;
including 1 piece PM, 2 Kimmeridge shale.
- desc Also ceramic water-pipes, painted wall-plaster, moulded
opus signinum and
tesserae,
including some of glass and some of
Kimmeridge cementstone
- loc Site code USSO3 (see also UNE03)
- subst PM
- date prob. 1st century
- interp demolition material of high-status building, maybe a bath-house.
May have been brought from N of the Thames after the Hadrianic fire
(Roskams and Watson 1981).
Possibly there was glass-working in Southwark and the glass tesserae
were intended for recycling.
- cont James Gerrard
-
- name Leadenhall Court PM veneer fragment
- site Leadenhall Court, London, 1985-1986
- grid TQ 33 81
- source Milne and Wardle 1986 p.41, 57 and fig.36d
- desc Purbeck Marble wall veneer `of late 1st century type',
found in midden associated with late 1st century buildings
of timber and brickearch construction; so not from those buildings
- loc Museum of London (presumed)
- subst PM
- date late 1st century AD
Colchester-
- name Colchester Report 2 fragments
- site Colchester, 1971-9
- grid TL 99 25
- source Crummy NC 1983
- desc Various architectural fragments described in microfiche, nos. in
the range 2546-2866, p.322-343; many are PM.
A detailed list is given in
a separate file.
Each description begins with the small-finds number and other identifiers
published by Crummy, in the form
Number-in-report "SF" Site-abbreviation Find-number-within-site ","
Other-identifiers "."
In Other-identifiers, L stands for Layer, F for Find-(group), and most other
letters identify features, trenches, or other subdivisions of a site.
- subst PM
- comment See also
- Colch Arch Rep 6 p.140-250 for Roman finds from 1980s
- comment Crummy p.322 : `Most of the architectural fragments derive from
post-Roman contexts. This is the result of the medieval robbing of the
Roman levels for building stone, there being none locally (JP's
emphasis). Therefore unless a fragment is obviously post-Roman or is
found incorporated in a post-Roman structure, it is included here.'
This means (JP) that there many more items, that have been robbed
and reused in later buildings, may be omitted !
- comment Crummy remarks that only a sample of the stone finds were identified
as to substance by a geologist; the remainder she assigned to a type of
stone herself by comparison with the sample.
- comment Site-periods (like 'Period 4b') are shown here for completeness,
but one should bear in mind that they are defined differently for each site,
and indeed for each of the sub-sites which here are grouped under a single
name like 'Lion Walk'. So, even within a single named site, designations
like 'Period 4b' may not always mean the same thing in absolute dates.
Therefore, Crummy's estimate of absolute date for the site-period is given
for each find.
-
- name Colchester Report 6 finds
- site Colchester, 1980-9
- grid TL 99 25
- source Crummy NC 1983
- publ - (Colchester Archaeological Report 6)
- desc `Roman finds from 1980s'
- comment primary publication to be studied
-
- site Colchester
- grid TL 99 25
- publ Crummy N, Crummy P, Crossan C 1993
- desc p.165 in Excavation of the Roman Church at Butt Road:
``The church (Bldg 139) ... no evidence of solid floors ... not even loose
tesserae ... floors which did survive point to plain sand or earth ... no
fragments of window glass ... The building probably incorporated some
carved stone and veneer of PM and Purbeck Burr (p.186)''
p.186:
``9 fragments of decorative veneers, granite, marble and PM, came from
the area of the cemetery. Some were from Period 1 [C1 to 320-40] contexts,
others in Period 2 [320-40 to 400+] grave fill, and 2 in post-mediaeval
topsoil. None is likely to have derived from the cemetery church ...
The building stone from the area of the church
forms a highly distinctive
group, consisting of a thick fragment of Purbeck burr [?veneer] from
the 4th or 5th cent. postpit F46, and 3 pieces from 5th cent. destruction
débris, two also thickish pieces of Purbeck burr, and one of a
shelly limestone prob. also from the Purbeck beds. The slab from
Hull's pit is also Purbeck burr.
Measuring 685 by 585mm and varying from 130 to 205mm thick,
it is by far the largest piece of stone from the site and the
only one to show any architectural detail. Both faces are rough, but a
string course has been cut along part of one edge, and another along the
short edge. The recovery of shelly PL from the area of the church when no
such material was included in the foundations and is rare from elsewhere in
the town suggests that it was brought to the site specifically for use in
above-ground walls.''
p.218: ``Unlined early mediaeval graves: ...
4 fragments of stone from mediaeval contexts are probably of Roman origin.
All have mortar on either a broken edge or a polished face, a clear
indication of reuse. One piece of PM veneer (SF 129) came from the rubble
over the apse of the church, and another (SF 132) from the
stone-and-tile-lined grave F26, which also contained a piece of shelly
limestone veneer (SF131) possibly from the Purbeck beds, and a coin of
Caracalla. The 4th fragment of stone is roughly worked, probably
limestone, and came from the stone-and-tile-lined grave F33.''
- subst mostly PL
- comment The same report contains on p.235:
``Grounds of St John's Abbey 1971-1985: ... 6 fragments all from
Phase 4 contexts [1648-1819 AD] almost certainly from tombs or wall
monuments ... one of black PM (sic:JP)
-
- site Colchester, Town Walls
- grid TL 99 25
- publ Hull MR 1958 p.36
- publ Duncan PM 1858
- desc ``Duncan (p.53)[?] recorded that this rampart consisted of
ruins; burnt and charred wood, tile and stonework, and all kinds of Roman
domestic utensils. It was removed 1855-1858. Contained large pieces
of PM, thin and polished on one surface''
- subst Duncan 1858: PM
-
- site Colchester, Ins. 6
- grid TL 99 25
- publ Hull MR 1958 p.84
- desc A fragment of PM from a slab 9in wide with ogee-moulded
edges, found on the floor of the W corridor of House II, is possibly
from the coping of a low wall carrying the columns for a portico
(see photographs).
- subst PM
- date indet.
- comment see possible confusion with
columns from Colchester
-
- site Colchester, ins. 13, 1940
- grid TL 99 25
- publ Hull MR 1958 p.105
- desc ``In June 1940 part of a wall 3 1/2in wide running N-S near
the NW corner of the chapel and 18in from it on the W side, a small pier
of tiles 18in sq, were observed by Mr Rudsdale, who also reported that
many frags of thin slabs of finely finished PM (or similar stone) were
found in the digging''
- subst probably PM
-
- name Colchester paving stones
- site Colchester, ins. 22 (Temple of Claudius)
- grid TL 99 25
- source Beavis p.201
- publ Hull MR 1958, p.188-9
- publ Peacock and Williams 1995 p.356-7
- desc Hull: ``Report by Mrs JE Morey, Geol Surv and Museum:
Marble veneers ... 2-3. 2 frags of a variety of PM ... a lt grey limestone
compacted of slightly larger specimens of Viviparus than in no.8
below, with frags of other shells in a cream-coloured calcite matrix.
The limestone is banded wtih alternate densely packed and less densely
packed bands of shells.
8. A dk grey PM or compact limestone composed
of numerous whole and fragmentary shells of ... Viviparus (Paludina)
which are cemented in a white to cream-coloured calcite groundmass. The
specimen is well matched with E.9284 in the Geol. Mus. from Swanage.
Unstratified.
(b) Paving slabs: several pieces of broken ... found over the pink concrete
floor in a posn which may equate with the `blue Lias' pavement of earlier
excavators, and also in the late street and unstratified levels. Some badly
weathered. These are of PM. The calcite is stained pink ... by limonite.
and a green coloration ... on a fresh surface is due to ... chamosite.
Cubes and small grains of pyrite also appear in the matrix. ... may
be matched with ... Geol. Mus. 58043, a PM from Peveril Pt''
(c) worked stones: 1-2 part of a `pecked' stone and column with traces
of paint, and a second worked fragment ... found in the Norman bank.
... Jurassic Purbeck limestone ... creamy-coloured ... composed of a mass
of comminuted shells, other organic remains and occasionally ooliths,
cemented by fairly coarse white calcite ... good match was E.9509 in
Geol. Mus., a Purbeck building stone from Langton Matravers ...
(Mrs Morey's notes:) The descriptions ... have been confirmed by
examinations of a powder of the rocks, in oils, under microscope.
The search for matching specimens ... was very extensive. The only
possible comparisons of English rocks ... from ... Swanage ...
[cites Dunning 1949]. Other ... locations for Viviparus limestone
are Chalwood, Sx. and Isle of Wight.''
- subst Morey JE: mostly PM
- comment Peacock and Williams note that Temple of Claudius used PM, while
the later building built across the steps of the temple in the 4th century
(Drury PJ 1984)
used lots of imported marble
-
-
-
- site Colchester, W cemetery
- grid TL 99 25
- publ Hull MR 1958 p.253
- desc ``much building material, with dressed PM, and a large gilt
letter V from some imposing inscription'' Not app. in RIB
- subst PM
-
-
- cat moulding
- site Colchester, house 2 insula 6
- grid TL 99 25
- source Beavis p.202
- desc
9inch piece of ogee moulding
`possibly from coping of a wall carrying columns of a portico'
- subst PM
-
- site Colchester, Temple/Castle area, 1964-9 and 1977
- grid TL 99 25
- source Drury PJ 1984 p.39-40
- desc Purbeck marble: Fragments of 20, 30 and 50mm slabs;
very abraded corner of 35mm slab, with splayed edges and remains of iron
cramps adhering (from post-Roman grave), frag. of 18mm slab with
hollow-chamfered edge (late Roman). Also a sawn block 120mm by 45mm by 30mm
from Castle Park 1931-3 [stratification unclear]
- subst PM
- interp From the Temple of Claudius
-
- site Colchester, Temple/Castle area, 1964-9
- grid TL 99 25
- source Drury PJ 1984 p.17, 19, 40
- publ - Dunnett BRK 1971
- desc p.17: masonry-vaulted sewer ... vault of [which] contained several
small fragments of PM, presumably construction waste since none showed signs
of decoration or re-use. Sewer dates to c.AD100, probably part of
the original plan of the temple court
- desc p.19: Rubble of PM fragments used to make up the slope for the base of a
drain; many of the fragments had decorative mouldings and were polished on one
face, and some had remains of iron cramps. Débris of refurbishment,
which must have taken place in or after late C2 (from pottery)
- loc lost (Drury p.40)
- subst PM
- date C1/early C2
- interp From the Temple of Claudius
- comment Excavations by Mrs BRK Niblett née Dunnett
-
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Colchester, Temple of Claudius, north range of temenos buildings
- grid TL 99 25
- source Drury PJ 1984 p.27
- publ - Smith CR 1847
- publ Cotton in Hull MR 1958 p.189
- desc Drury:
The north range proper was evidently floored with `blue lias' [Roach Smith]
slabs, actually probably Purbeck marble [Cotton]
- subst probably PM
-
-
Other East Anglia-
- cat veneer
- site Fingringhoe, Essex
- grid TM 02 20
- source Scott ES18
- source information from Colchester Museum
- source Clarke p.211
- publ VCH Essex, 3 (1963), p. 131
- publ
Rodwell W in Todd M 1969 p.29
- publ Liversidge J in
Rivet 1969 p.153 note 79
- desc Occupation site with 3 buildings
- desc Opus sectile of Purbeck marble, fragments
- loc probably now in Colchester museum
- subst PM
- date occupation material c.43--120 AD
-
- site Rivenhall, Essex
- grid TL 828 178
- source Liversidge J in
Rivet ALF 1969 ed.
- source Clarke G 1982 p.211
- source Scott 1988 ES36
- publ Rodwell W and K 1973,
p.120
- publ Wilson DR 1973,
RB in 1972 p.305
- desc Opus sectile: Porphyry and Purbeck marble fragments
- desc Rodwell: Villa found 1846. p.120:
building 2, of Flavian period,
with wall paintings, monochrome and polychrome mosaics, has also yielded
fragments of PM wall sheathing
- desc Wilson:
building 2, wall or floor veneers in porphyry and PM
- subst PM
- date Flavian
Midlands-
-
- name Cirencester moulding 2
- cat moulding
- site Cirencester
- grid SP 02 01
- source Wacher 1974 p.297-298; cites
(p.438) TBGAS 12, 70; Proc. Soc. Antiquaries 27, 201;
Antiqs. J. 42, 5
- desc mouldings of Purbeck marble
- subst Wacher: PM
- comment may be identical with those above
-
- name Cirencester flat polished fragment
- site Cirencester
- grid SP 02 01
- publ Wacher and McWhirr 1982
p.105
- desc [frag of] Purbeck Marble/Upper Purbeckian. 30 by 35mm by
12mm thick with two flat and highly polished surfaces, suggestive of use
as a decorative inlay, wall veneer or opus sectile, although
the outline is not discernible. [trench] AH VIII [find-no.] 96,
not illustrated
-
- name Gloucester wall fragment
- site New Market Hall, Gloucester, 1966-7
- grid SO 84 18
- source pers comm Rhodes JF
to Beavis p.202
- source pers comm Sue Byrne, May 2001
- desc unstratified fragment of wallcasing
- loc Gloucester Museum A.8437
- subst Gloucs Mus: PM
- comment Not mentioned by Hassall
and Rhodes 1974; site given by museum catalogue and Rhodes' statement to
Beavis
- cont
Susan Byrne
-
- cat veneer
- site Godmanchester Baths
- grid TL 24 70
- source Beavis p.201
- publ - Green H. J. M., 1960a
- publ Green H. J. M., 1960b
- publ Green H. J. M., 1960c
- publ Rankov, 1982, p. 363 is about
Godmanchester but doesn't mention the bath.
- desc Beavis (apparently after Green 1960a):
Large cold bathroom lined with polished sheets
of grey PM 1 to 1 1/4in thick set about 2in below level of bath floor,
backed with pink mortar and fixed with L-clamps of iron, one of which
was 4 1/2in long with 3/4in arm.
Faces of sheets show impressions of tesserae, above which a layer of
limescale. Sheets snapped off at floor level when the baths were pulled down.
Pick marks on stumps visible.
- desc Green 1960c: "The veneers of Purbeck and Hopton Wood marble were
probably brought to the Baths ready worked, but judging from fragments
found in the drain they were cut to measure at the site"
- subst PM
-
-
- cat marble fragments
- site Woodchester, Glos
- grid SO 83 02
- source Liversidge, J. in
Rivet, A. L. F. ed. (1969),
The Roman Villa in Britain: Routledge
- source Scott GS101
- publ Lysons, S. (1797) An account of Roman antiquities
discovered at Woodchester in the county of Gloucester
- publ Clarke G 1982
- desc Clarke p.210: ``One fragment, described by Lysons as resembling
Purbeck or Petworth marble, now lost. This appears to have been a rectangular
strip, 0.13m by 30mm by 20mm (Lysons pl.xxx no.4). ... probably Purbeck
marble, for Petworth marble was not worked in Roman times (inf. from
Mr Martin Owen.''
- desc Clarke p.211: Opus sectile, several shapes
in Purbeck and imported marbles
- loc lost
- subst apparently PM
- date
Clarke: `No independent dating'
- comment Clarke
argues that there are no instance of opus sectile
later than Trajanic in RB villas, and relates this
to Dunning's belief
that the PM industry stopped in C2-3; but now, see
the Norden industrial site
-
- cat veneer
- site Gorhambury, nr. St Albans
- grid TL 22 14
- publ
Neal DS, Wandle A, Hurn J 1990,
Excavation of the Iron Age, Roman and mediaeval settlement at
Gorhambury, St Albans, English Heritage Arch Rep 14
- desc p.167:``Scattered over the site were fragments of PM veneer.
Some were found in mediaeval contexts but it is unlikely that such elegant
material would have graced a manor house, although it is known to have
embellished Bacon's house. It is possible that the veneer was stripped
from the Roman villa or from buildings in Verulamium''
p.174: ``Frags 22, 23
could have come from the bowl of a cantharus; they have dark grey `outlines'
bordering yellow and light grey tesserae, the latter being of PM.
Only one other fragment [of paving] has PM ...
the infrequency of this stone compared to the materials of the other tesserae
might suggest that it was being used only sparingly and for special ornament''
p.80: ``Building 60 [mediaeval]
... another curved stump of wall ... cut the frigidarium of the bath suite
(Room 12) and contained in its rubble fragments of PM veneer, perhaps
stripped from the Roman buildings''
- subst PM
-
- name Frere's Verulamium cornice
- site Verulamium, Ins. XIV
- grid TL 13 07
- source Goodburn and Grew in Frere SS, Verulamium vol.3 p.79, fig.35 no. 2
- desc Fragment from a cornice of PM, the front well polished. The top is
completely unworked, but the back has been dressed down to a smooth finish
leaving only a narrow overhanging band of rough stone at the very top. The
one surviving end was squared off with a drove, but not polished The
rectangular cutout, prob. made to fit round a projection on the wall, may
be secondary. 57 V VIII 10. AD 140-150. Ins. XIV, makeup below Bldg 3,
room 3.
- loc ?Verulamium Mus?
- subst PM
- date AD 140-150
-
- name Verulamium PM 1986-1998
- site Verulamium, 1986-1988
- grid TL 13 07
- source Jstor 2012-07-13
- publ Niblett et al. 2006 p.94-95
- desc In the late C3 the unfinished soakaway and oven base
were filled in with tips of clean rubble which was part of a thick layer
which spread across the whole site [and] included ... fragments of
Purbeck Marble facing
- subst excavators: PM
- date before AD 300
-
- name Gadebridge slab
- site Gadebridge Park, Herts
- grid TL 05 09
- publ Neal DS 1974 p.195
- desc Small slab of PM. Smooth one side and partly worked
on the other. Sides semicircular. Purpose uncertain; too thick for
palette and no bevelled edges. Possibly wall veneer. 9cm
- subst PM
-
- site Park Street, near St Albans, Herts
- grid TL 14 03
- source Dunning's map
- source Dunning's 1949 paper
- publ O'Neil H 1946 p.97-101
- publ Sanders AD 1963 p.131-133
- publ Sanders: Stone .. by AWG Lowther ... Purbeck or Sussex marble:
As well as the frags used as a dado in Room X of the Bath Building, other
pieces were found in Room IIA and east of Room III. They are all from
polished slabs about 1in to 3/4in thick. ``(Similar fragments were found
in the villa, O'Neil above).''
- desc O'Neil: .. Marble .. by AWG Lowther. Purbeck or Sussex
marble: 5 frags of Paludina limestone were found .. all parts of
polished slabs about 1/2in thick .. evidently for some decorative purpose.
One piece found in Rubbish Pit IV, another in the building débris of
Room XIII, 2 pieces in the filling of the staircase well and one from a
rubbish pit of late date which was destroyed by the grab.
- loc probably Verulamium Museum
- subst Uncertain whether P or Sussex
-
- site Lockleys, Welwyn, Herts
- grid TL 18 18
- source Dunning's map
- publ
Ward-Perkins JB 1938 p.356
- desc Foreign stone by KP Oakley: 1. Portion of a slab of PM, 5/8in
thick with polished surface and one squared edge intact. From the deepest
deposits in Room 8. The reverse face has been mortared. The marble is
of the red and green variety which is exposed for instance on the shore at
Swanage. 2. Small portion of a similar slab with 2 squared edges forming
a right angle, found unstratified.
- loc likely to be Verulamium Museum
- subst PM
-
- name Shakenoak PM block
- site Shakenoak villa, Wilcote, Oxon., before 1971
- grid SP 37 13
- source Allen, Fulford and Todd 2007
- publ Broadribb, Hands and Walker 1971a p.38
- desc Three pieces of PM in Period 3b levels in Building A, maybe from the
same block, which had at least 2 polished faces at right angles and was
at least half a cubic foot. Late 4th to early 5th cent. deposit
- subst PM (H. P. Powell, Univ. Mus. Oxon)
- date c.400 (or earlier)
-
- name North Leigh PM moulding
- site North Leigh villa, Oxfordshire, 1970s
- grid SP 39 15
- source Jstor 2012-07-13
- publ Ellis 1999
- desc In `The architectural fragments' by Tom Blagg, p.232:
21. (Not illustrated) Plain moulding. Grey Purbeck marble.
Height 5.7cm, diameter 6.5cm, width 15cm.
From infill of hypocaust in Room 18.
- subst Blagg: PM
- comment Jstor
also reported "Purbeck" in
Wilson, David R., 2004, `The North Leigh Roman Villa, its plan reviewed',
Britannia 35 77-113, but not found visually 2012-07-18
-
- name Flaxengate marble fragments
- site Lincoln, Flaxengate, 1946-7
- grid SK 97 71
- source Baker 1955 p.20
- desc Fragments of Mediterranean marbles, polished sandstone, granite
and Purbeck marble. Mostly wall veneer but some moulding and other
architectural features. Found in broken material,
containing a coin of Commodus (180-192),
used to fill foundation trenches for a new building.
- subst PM: identified by KC Dunham
-
- name Lincoln Castle column fragment
- site Lincoln Castle, 2013
- grid SK 97 71
- source Cecily Spall, pers. comm. 2014 Aug.
- desc Column fragment. Original diameter apparently 360mm. Tooling apparently executed with a claw-chisel.
- subst C. Spall: PM
- date Roman (found in later context)
- comment see also cornice and mortar from same excavation
- cont Cecily Spall
-
- name Lincoln Castle Cornice
- site Lincoln Castle, 2013
- grid SK 97 71
- source Cecily Spall, pers. comm. 2014 Aug.
- desc Section of cornice (?). 'Similar to cornices shown in the newsletter from the 2013 Silchester excavations'.
- subst C. Spall: PM
- date Roman (found in later context)
- comment see also column and mortar from same excavation
- cont Cecily Spall
South-west Peninsula-
- name Fox's Exeter PM fragments
- site Exeter, before 1953
- grid SX 92 92
- source Fox A 1954
- publ Fox A, Roman Exeter, p.64, not yet seen
- desc Fox 1954: "PM has been found in Exeter previously"
- subst PM
-
- name Exeter Bear Street fragments
- site Exeter, Bear Street, 1953
- grid SX 92 92
- source Fox A 1954
- desc Four small pieces of Purbeck marble veneer
- loc ? Royal Albert Museum, Exeter ?
- subst PM
- date ? 2nd cent. or before ?
- interp Fox: "an important and elaborate Roman building in this area"
-
-
- site Exeter
- grid SX 92 92
- source Pearce S. M., curator Royal Albert Mem Mus Exeter,
pers. comm. to Beavis p.201
- desc
Half head of a small column believed to be PM: maybe Roman or C18 copy
- loc Exeter, Royal Albert Memorial Museum
- subst thought to be PM
-
-
- site Exeter, Basilica and Forum
- grid SX 92 92
- publ Bidwell 1979 p.67-68
- desc ``Construction of the basilica ... Demolition of the main
building (sc. of the baths) ... basement filled with rubble [which] consisted
of [among other things] the rear wall of the NE bath ... some of the PM can
definitely be ... associated with the two baths in the caldarium ...
[also] ...
some PM mouldings
probably from the rim of a labrum''
- subst PM
-
- site Exeter, legionary bath-house
- grid SX 920 926
- publ Bidwell 1979 p.63
- desc ``An open gully running from the S corner of the main building
diagonally across the courtyard had ... been filled in with furnace-ash
mixed with stone quarries, PM veneers and hypocaust tiles''
- subst PM
-
- site Exeter, Basilica and Forum
- grid SX 92 92
- publ Bidwell 1979 p.74
- desc ``A large masonry drain ... leading from the stylobate-gutter
to a wooden drainpipe under the street ... constructed of trap and sandstone
rubble, some reused blocks and fragments of PM''
- subst PM
-
- site Exeter, Basilica and Forum
- grid SX 92 92
- publ Bidwell 1979 p.73
- desc ``Construction of the SE forum range ... the bulk of the
material used for levelling prior to demolition was ash from the furnaces ...
the ash layers were largely devoid of demolition material; a few frags of
PM veneer and some stone floor-quarries were found ... probably ...
the ash layers were largely devoid of demolition material; a few frags of
PM veneer and some stone floor-quarries were found ... probably rubbish
survivals from the work carried out at beginning of Period 1B [modification
of the bathhouse c.75AD] ''
- subst PM
- date c.80AD
-
- site Exeter, legionary baths
- grid SX 920 926
- publ Bidwell 1979
p.136-141 and fig.46
- desc PM mouldings other than from
the labrum.
In most cases their position and function is unclear.
[Apparently] worked from rough, unsawn blanks and trimmed to shape with
a point. Blagg 1976 p.162 suggests
that a claw chisel
was used on some, eg here fig.45,4 (part of
the labrum) but elsewhere
it seems an ordinary chisel was employed ... surfaces polished presum
with stone rubbers, wh left many faint striations; these surfaces often
marred by point digging too deep before polishing ... rear surfaces also
polished, to give a tight fit ... joints between blocks normally
vertical ... [at diagonal corner joints] anathyrosis (hollowing
out the ends to give a tight fit) was employed as at
Richborough (p.62), marble casing of the
great monument, and Gloucester p.57,
and commonly in application of wall-veneers
(Lugli 1957 p.207.
- subst PM
-
- site Exeter, legionary baths
- grid SX 920 926
- publ Bidwell 1979
p.143-145 and fig.48
- desc 163 substantial (10cm square or more)
frags of PM, recovered predominantly from
levels associated with the demolition of the baths at the beginning of
period 2A. Four particular types: A. splashboards above the baths;
B. treads of steps;
C. wall-veneers;
D. probably paving.
No evidence for multiple saw-blades.
Edges of slabs often worked to a vertical face,
or cut away towards the underside;
overlapping joints also occurred (fig.48,3 and 4)
and [iron clamps sometimes used].
None of the slabs have dowel-holes at the back.
- subst PM
Wales-
- name Caerwent Pilaster
- site Caerwent, Pound Lane
- grid ST 46 90
- source Thomas C in
Sunter and Woodward 1987
- publ Dunning G C and Evans, ? said in 1987 to be forthcoming ?
- desc A pilaster of PM, possibly 4th cent.
- subst PM
-
- name Caerleon Veneer
- site Caerleon ? 1964
- grid ST 32 90
- publ Boon GC 1964, fig.11 no.2 and
p.39
- publ - Boon GC 1978b
- desc 1964: Purbeck Marble wall-cladding, weathered;
a plain strip of similar width was also found
- subst Boon: PM
- date Period 4 street makeup: i.e. mid-C3 to sometime in C4
-
- name Caerleon baths PM slabs
- site Caerleon, legionary baths
- grid ST 32 90
- source Michael Fulford, lecture at DORCM 2004-12-03
- desc Large slabs of PM lining natatio; photograph shown;
more enquiries are required
- subst Fulford: PM
-
Northern Britain
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