Site-index
Mortars
Inscriptions
Roofing
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Occupation-sites
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© Copyright John Palmer.
This is work in progress, last updated 2018-04-06.
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-
- name Fishbourne basin 1
- site Fishbourne, rubble layer, no evidence of orig. siting
- grid SU 84 05
- source Beavis p.202
- publ
Cunliffe 1962 p.18
- publ
Cunliffe 1971 p.37-38 and fig.21
- desc `1. Semicircular marble basin 97cm across
carved from a single slab of PM.'
About one quarter survives (fig.21).
`Dished surface and moulded lips carefully smoothed; base, back and sides
left in a roughly-chiselled state, suggesting that it might have stood at
ground level on its own base. Fragments of similar basins are known from
Silchester
(Archaeologia 1905, 59
p.346, fig.5) and Verulamium; type otherwise rare.'
- loc Beavis: display at site
- subst PM
- comment see also Fishbourne basin 2
-
- name Fishbourne Basin 2
- site Fishbourne, 3rd period well in S courtyard of E wing
- grid SU 84 05
- source Beavis p.202
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.40 fig.22 no.2
- desc `Basin carved from a single slab of PM.
The upper surface has been hollowed but the depth is uncertain, because
the lip is now missing. The under-surface has been cut into a similar curve,
but at one point a rectangular block of stone has been left. It is cut to
form a recess into which a leg ... probably slotted. The fragment ... probably
represents the top of a basin ... on tripod legs.'
- loc Beavis: display at site
- subst PM
- comment see also Fishbourne basin 1
-
- site Fishbourne, Neronian builders' yard
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.40 pl.ix
- desc
`5. Unfinished rim of a bowl or basin 16cm diam. chiselled from a block of PM.
Overhanging rim suggests not a mortar. Internally rough-chiselled. External
chiselling fine and may be preparation for lathe-turning.'
- subst PM
-
- name Silchester shower basin
- site Silchester, baths, insula 33, 1903-4
- grid SU 64 62
- source Beavis p.202
- publ Hope and Fox 1905,
p.344-5 and fig.4
- publ Boon GC 1957 p.106
- publ Boon GC 1974 p.127, 325
- desc Beavis: fragment of shallow 5ft diam. basin in PM
- desc
Hope and Fox: `in and around the frigidarium the frags of a
large and shallow circular bason of PM. When complete ... 5ft diam.
with depth 3in. (Fig 4: section of bason). Remains of pink mortar on
the vert. edge, which is also left rough, suggest that [it] was sunk
in the floor, prob in the middle of the room over the drain ... kind
of shower bath ... '
Hope and Fox p.351 footnote says that the basin had a central hole
- desc Boon 1957: `...set flush with the floor; a drain led ... from it.
... served for cold douching taken instead of the plunge'
- desc Boon 1974 p.127: `PM emplacement for the cold shower
[in the public baths] very shallow and about 1.5m across.
The centre would have been pierced for the escape of the water, cf.
Boon [1972], Isca, p.102;
[similar is that recorded by Cunliffe,] Fishbourne, II, 39, fig.22,2'.
But this page and figure reference is slightly different from
that recorded in this database for
Fishbourne Basin 1,
best to check again in Cunliffe.
- subst Hope and Fox, Boon: PM
- comment see also
the labrum fragments
from same site
-
-
-
-
- site Rockbourne Down, Hants
- grid SU 11 18
- publ Sumner H 1914 p.41
- desc Part of a PM bowl, polished inside and along top edge,
``dressed in a professional stonemason's manner outside''. 7.5in diam,
vertical-sided, no lugs
- subst PM
- comment Not quite a mortar (JP)
-
- name Exeter Labrum fragments
- site Exeter, legionary baths
- grid SX 920 926
- publ Bidwell 1979 p.136
and fig.45
- desc Labrum fragments:
12 pieces of a circular PM moulding were recovered ... the profile ...
suggests they formed part of the rim of a free-standing circular basin ...
outer circumferences vertical and smoothly
finished with a bevel at an angle of about 45deg at their bases; upper
surfaces horiz [for] 5.5cm and then sloped towards the interior ... at ...
about 45deg ... Iron clamps set in lead were inserted from the top of the
frags apparently at frequent intervals ... height [of frags] not much more
than that now surviving. Must have been clamped to a base; diam. of basin
3 to 3.5m
- loc Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. One rim fragment about 250mm long
on display 2002-01-05
- subst PM
- comment
Fig 45 shows 4 frags, notes refer to 1 + 8 more, total 13, not 12 !
- comment
Reconstruction at
RAMM
shows 3 apses in the caldarium, the outer two holding labra
raised to waist-height, the centre one a statue. Exhibit says the basin
`would have held hot water', no reason given for this inference
-
- name PM labrum
- site Caerleon, in baths outside the legionary fortress, 1849
- grid ST 32 90
- source Bidwell 1979 p.136
(which cites `Boon 1974-6 p.228-230')
- publ Boon 1972 p.103-4
- publ Boon GC 1978b
- desc Boon 1972: great slab of PM, ... found in an incompletely
explored area on the NW ... re-used ... carved to the shape
of a round shield bearing a mask of Medusa in the centre (fig.70 p.104,
photograph).
Underside rough: only sign of attachment is a shallow square sinking
insufficient [for fastening in an upright position], and the edge is smoothed.
.. more likely that the rim [which has been hacked off for re-use]
rose a few inches
to form a circular basin which would be filled with water to a depth which
left the gorgoneion exposed. A labrum for the refreshment
of bathers .. a standard furnishing, as can be seen for ex. at Pompeii
- desc Bidwell: diameter 1.7m (fig.70 in Boon 1972 agrees)
- desc Picture (2004-06-14, still there 2005-09-26) at
http://www.cymru9.fsnet.co.uk/page10.html,
from which I got the date of finding!
Thanks to the managers of that website.
- subst PM
- date Boon: Isca fortress established about 74-5, running down
from c.260, emptied in Carausian times, 290s
- comment See also the Caerleon mortar
- comment Isca also has spotted slate metalling of hardstandings,
imported from Preseli (Boon 1972 p.52);
basilica (principia) had Bath stone columns (ibid. p.73)
-
- name Gadebridge basin fragment
- site Gadebridge Park, Herts
- grid TL 05 09
- publ Neal DS 1974 p.195
- desc 706. Rim frag from basin of PM, prob similar to
that from Fishbourne
(Cunliffe 1971 fig.21).
Inside surface and outer rim smooth. Underside roughly tooled and prob
intended to be set in mortar. From filling of pipe gully E of room 20.
Diam 72cm originally.
- subst PM
-
- name London, Gresham Street basin fragment
- site London, Gresham Street, c.2000?
- grid TQ 33 81
- source Roman Finds Group,
http://www.romanfindsgroup.org.uk/oldmeetings6.html, 2004-06-14
- desc ``Sue Pringle: Roman stone bowls and basins:
Sue drew attention to a couple of free-standing basin fragments which are rare
finds from Britain. One has came from Gresham Street, made of Purbeck marble
(which is actually a limestone). It can be compared with fragments known from
the temple of Mithras
and other sites outside London, e.g.
Caerleon and
Exeter.''
- loc Museum of London ?
- subst PM
- comment see also the
PM-faced concrete pier,
presumably from this site, and moulding fragments
(1,
2)
from elsewhere in Gresham Street.
-
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