Londinium
First phases: 51-60 CE
- Founded shortly after Claudius’ conquest of Britain
- Function of new town
- Military outpost
- Protected crossing of Thames
- Little remains of this first fort
- Few military objects for this period found
- Commercial establishment
- Safe harbor for ships from the mainland
- Became economically important for the new province
- By 60 CE town of some importance
- Neither a colonia nor a municipium
- Did not have a charter
- Tacitus
- Archaeological discoveries
- Indicates certain planned features of the town
- East-west road (Lombard to Fenchurch St.)
- Parallel road to south Eastcheap-Cannon St. to St. Sevethin’s Lane
- North-south road
- Remains of 2 wooden structures
- Between east-west roads
- Either side of north-south road
- Town quickly modified
- Wooden building demolished
- New building constructed
- 2 other buildings in area
- All 3 planned and constructed at same time
- To the west open gravel area, function unknown
- 2 pipe-systems
- Limits of first town unclear
- Cemetery
- Area of Billiter Street and Mark Lane
- Outside of town
- Required by Roman law
Destruction at time of Boudicca’s revolt, 60/61 CE
- Slow to rebuild
- Traders and craftsmen may have been reluctant to return
- Procurator Classicianius
- Uses it as his administrative center
- Dies here, tombstone found
- Building west of Gracechurch St.
- Demolished after 70 CE
- Stone walls (only early one known in Britain)
- Perhaps government structure
- By 70 CE town recovering and regaining previous importance
Flavian Londinium (ca. 70-100 CE)
- May have received a charter at this time as a municipium
- Expansion of the town
- Forum
- Located end of Gracechurch St.
- Plan
- Rectangular
- 105 x 52 m
- Open central area
- Shops and offices on three sides
- Basilica on the 4th side
- Basilica
- Large aisled hall
- Central nave
- Possible tribunal at the back
- Temple (?)
- Beside the forum
- Rectangular
- Port
- Major achievement
- Slope of Thames terraced
- Quays on lower terrace
- Quays in front
- Warehouses
- Mediterranean-style merchant ship found
- Public building near river
- Flavian building
- 1st identified as the governor’s palace
- Was probably a bath structure
- Plan
- Pool area
- Structure behind
- Great hall with hypocausts
- Same with room beside
- Large structure east was built later
- Aisled building near Forum
- Flavian
- Still in use in 2nd century
- Rectangular
- Fort
- Some evidence to indicate a stone fort here by 90 CE
- Remains of a fort