Find Spot record 8088/17 - Roman altar found at St Werburgh Street

An altar recorded from the east side of St Werburgh Street in 1896 to the north of the Tamil Cafe (now No 6 St Werburgh Street). The altar was inscribed GENIO >.

Haverfield, reporting in 1897 notes the altar was 0.76m high and 0.33m wide and depicts a sacrificial dish to the left of the inscription and a jug to the right. The discovery was made approximately 2.4m below the present ground level as an unstratified find from modern disturbed ground. The inscription is brief but complete and is dedicated to the ‘Genius of the Century’. (1-5)

Other finds from this area have suggested that this cohort block belonged to the Third Cohort (CHER 8397). This altar was found in the vicinity of Centurial House C on an east west progression from the fortress wall.

The Roman altar was frequently found in homes, markets, public buildings and sacred spaces, often within a shrine or niche in the wall of the building. They are frequently inscribed with a dedication to a deity as well as decorated with carved sculptures. The presence of an altar dedicated to a century (a unit of 80 men of the Roman army) often suggests the presence of a barrack building nearby.

RIB i 446

<1> Haverfield, F, 1897, Roman altar discovered in 1896, p76 (Article in Journal). SCH5518.

<2> Haverfield, F, 1900, Catalogue of the Roman Sculptured stones in the Grosvenor Museum, No 3 (Article in Journal). SCH5530.

<3> Lawson, P H, 1926, Schedule of the Roman Remains of Chester with Maps and Plans, No.21 (Article in Journal). SCH5956.

<4> Wright, R. P. & Richmond, I. A., 1955, Catalogue of the Roman Inscribed and Sculptured Stones in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, RIB i 446 (Monograph). SCH522.

<5> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p155 (Book). SCH3556.

<6> Henig D.F, 2004, Roman Sculpture in the NW Midlands, No 6 (Book). SCH6862.