Monument record 8471 - Amphitheatre, Third Century Restoration

This monument refers to the evidence for a series of alterations to the amphitheatre that occurred at during the third century; specifically a remodelling of the eastern entrance and the arena floor (please see CHER 8470 for a summary of Amphitheatre 2). With respect to the east entrance (which, until this stage is summarised by CHER 8470/6), a sleeper wall was established in line with the outer wall (CHER 8470/1) sealing the entrance and turning the formerly open passage into a chamber accessible only by the arena (SCH6035).

The back part of the passage was given a colonnaded facade where it passed beneath the seating, a new plaster floor was laid (over an accumulation of rubbish and occupational deposits overlying Amphitheatre 2’s c AD 100s pebble floor) (4, 5). It might be that the narrowing of the arena end of the entrance (described as an element of Amphitheatre 2’s east entrance, CHER 8470/6) occurred at this time, although the different conclusions advocated by the available published information are somewhat contradictory (4, 5). Part of a set of stairs were recently found north of the east entrance, and unlike the earlier stairs, these blocked the corridor (what Thompson referred to as the ‘gangway’ around the arena wall) that encircled the amphitheatre (6).

The arena floor also produced evidence of significant third century (or later) modifications. Briefly, the formerly bedrock-cut, sand covered surface seemed to Thompson to have been subject to a period of abandonment, and later flooring takes the form of areas of ‘scattered survivals of an originally continuous paved floor’ (1). This paving, from which third century finds were recovered, appears to have been associated with a relatively complex sequence of clay surfaces, episodes of burning, occupational build up and repair. According to the results of Thompson’s excavations (ECH2809), an axial culvert from the arena end of the north entrance through the centre of the arena floor is related to the paving of this surface (1).

Beginning at the sill of the northern entrance, was the rock-cut feature, 0.2m wide, which deepened as it progressed south, it had a capping of stone slabs, and made a slight change of direction where it came into proximity of possible timber structure in the centre of the arena floor (CHER 8472). Overlying the drain were two parallel sandstone kerbs, described by Thompson as clearly post-dating the drain but following its line, which appeared to create some kind of path from the north entrance to the timber structure. Some of these deposits probably do not relate to a third century refurbishment, but to an as yet not well understood final period of use at the amphitheatre site (see CHER 8472). The most recent excavations of the arena floor (ECH5048), on the opposite side of the retaining wall marking the southern boundary of the former excavation, established that no fewer than six stratigraphic phases of pits and postholes were found in the arena, and only the final phase could be understood, when a small timber building was constructed (CHER 8472).

<1> Thompson A, 1975, The excavations of the Roman amphitheatre at Chester (Article in Journal). SCH6162.

<2> Newstead, R (Prof.), 1932, The Roman Amphitheatre at Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5708.

<3> Anon, 1932, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester (Article in Journal). SCH5712.

<4> Chester City Council Archaeology Service, 2003, The Past Uncovered (Newsletter). SCH6035.

<5> Wilmot, T & Garner, D, 2009, Excavations on the Legionary Amphitheaters of Chester (Deva), Britain (Article in Monograph). SCH5191.

<6> Chester City Council Archaeology Service, 2002, The Past Uncovered (Newsletter). SCH6032.