Lorica segmentata from Caerleon

[Caratacus]

Just yesterday there was a spectacular find in the current excavation at Caerleon. These are a continuation from the one started last year in the area known as The Priory Field. This is in the south-west quadrant of the fortress, just behind the Priory Hotel. It hasn't been reported in the national news, but it was on the local BBC Welsh news this evening, so it is now in the public domain and I can talk about it.

I was over there this morning having a look. What seems to have been found is a room containing what may be most of a complete set of lorica segmentata armour. It isn't in one spot, but seems to be scattered over the floor surface. There seem to be about 40 separate 'bits' (at least that is the number of lifts that the archaeologists seem to think they will have to carry out). They are taking them up as solid blocks, encased in bandages and plaster. Before anything else is done, they will be X-rayed in Cardiff to see what precisely is there.

The most obvious thing is what appears to be a set of concertinered girdle plates. At least one of these has a hook/cast ring at one end (it wasn't possible to see exactly which it was, owing to the adhering mud - so it isn't known yet whether it is Corbridge or Newstead armour). There are certainly a number of other plates, which from their length look to be part of the shoulder protection. In addition to this, there have also been smaller finds of plate armour, as well as bits of squamata. Caerleon isn't a stranger exactly to finds of lorica pieces, but this seems to be the biggest so far found in one spot!

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

Here is the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11288684

It does not say much, but I think we all will be waiting to hear further information as it comes out. Caratacus, thanks, and please keep us informed on this.

Ralph

[Matthew Amt]

Aha!

Just got sent a link to the BBC article a few minutes ago, at least I assume it's the same thing:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11288684

That it? It's kinda vague, and only seems to show scales. Cool enough, of course, but segmentata parts are great, too! Are there any other photos or details?

Matthew

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes, I see scales in the photo, plus a locking ring tha tcould be from a Newstead type seg, but could equally be of the type for the front plates on a skale suit too!
Look forward to hearing and seeing more on this!

[Caratacus]

That it? It's kinda vague, and only seems to show scales. Cool enough, of course, but segmentata parts are great, too! Are there any other photos or details?Matthew

Yes, the top photograph shows what appears to be a set of squamata armour, partially covered by the dirt. There are no other photos at present. Peter Guest is gesturing with his trusty trowel at the segmentata in the bottom picture, but unless you get close, you can't really see what is there! This is only one piece of it. The remainder is scattered all over the place and will probably take the team at least two days to lift it all.

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[Vindex]

VERY exciting find! Please keep us posted of any developments (no pun intended!!)

[markusaurelius]

Thanks for the info. Hope this pans out and fills in some of the knowledge gap that still exists out there on this armor.

[Matthew Amt]

plus a locking ring tha tcould be from a Newstead type seg, but could equally be of the type for the front plates on a skale suit too!

OH! I missed that bit the first time! I'd call it a Newstead lacing loop, though yeah, if the post is broken off it could have been a locking loop. Like these ones I made long ago:



Hah, between this and the Carlisle report (on my Christmas list!) I might even get my Newstead lorica done some day!

Matthew

[mcbishop]

I might even get my Newstead lorica done some day!

Let's hope no idiot comes along and proposes a redesign of it, then :-D D

Mike Bishop

[ParthianBow]

Great post, thanks! I only live about 70km from Caerleon, so hope to see some of this stuff in the museum there at some stage...

[Medicus matt]

My partner is one of the supervisors on this dig (this is the third, and last, of three bi-annual digs unless this find prompts somebody to come up with some more funding) and they've been finding interesting bits of military equipment for the last couple of weeks. I went over to help identify some of the small finds, which include some bits of squamata still wired together, a nice dagger chape (hence my enquiry as to similar types elsewhere) and some of the pierced 'shield boss fasteners' which have been debated elsewhere on RAT, as well as some nice beads, what might be a torc terminal, some finger rings and some helmet handles.

The dig finishes this weekend and the whole site will be backfilled but, hopefully, these finds will result in funding for future excavations in Priory Field and elsewhere in the area.

[Caratacus]

Great post, thanks! I only live about 70km from Caerleon, so hope to see some of this stuff in the museum there at some stage...

You will have a bit of a wait, Ben! Talking with Mark Lewis (the senior curator at Caerleon), he thought that a couple of years would be a reasonable estimate for the conservation work to be done - maybe longer depending on what they find when they X-ray the lumps. Once it's conserved, it should come back to the museum at Caerleon, because that's where all the finds from this site are stored and/or displayed (also the finds from Usk). Everything else goes to Cardiff.

I was actually talking with one of the people who unearthed the armour on the phone this morning. She said that the exitement when this started to come out of the ground was incredible - which I can quite believe. I know that I leapt out of bed (a rare occurrence for me) when Mark phoned me on Monday morning to tell me the news!

Sadly, this new material will not make it into the update of the lorica segmentata finds catalogue. Two years (or more) is too long to wait for that to happen. Perhaps an update of the update? (The screaming sound is probably coming from Mike Bishop at that suggestion!)

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[mcbishop]

Sadly, this new material will not make it into the update of the lorica segmentata finds catalogue. Two years (or more) is too long to wait for that to happen. Perhaps an update of the update? (The screaming sound is probably coming from Mike Bishop at that suggestion!)

Update? What update?! :twisted:

Mike Bishop

[Crispvs]

Do we have any idea of the stratigraphic dating of the finds?

Crispvs

[Caratacus]

Sadly, this new material will not make it into the update of the lorica segmentata finds catalogue. Two years (or more) is too long to wait for that to happen. Perhaps an update of the update? (The screaming sound is probably coming from Mike Bishop at that suggestion!)

Update? What update?! :twisted:

Mike Bishop

I'm on it, I'm on it, honest Guv!

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)