i!'
'Hill
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1 II"
I . ' M
DESCMPTIONS 0E CRANIA.
in 1854 proved that the modern city preserves much of the same arrangement in its streets, as
Glevum; and that the remarkable cross-road, in its centre, dates from Roman times. In the
Noi-thgate Street, for the space of about 300 yards, the Roman road, constructed of irregular
stones imbedded in cement on a layer of concrete, was exposed at about 10 ft. 6 in. below the
sui'face. Pour lai-ge squared planks of charred wood were met with over a place at which a brook
anciently crossed the street; and fragments of pottery were discovered beneath the Roman
roadway itself
Kingsholm is on that side of Gloucester by which the Roman road passed, and occupies the
site of the cemetery of the Roman Glevum; the graves having, as usual, been dug on both sides
of the road leading to the station. This spot has been very productive in Roman antiquities.
Douglas, the author of the " Nenia Britannica," describes the discovery of a leaden coffin, a
Roman gladkis, and other objects in 17841. Lysons gives an accoimt and some figures of a
number of other relics, aU of Roman origin, among the rest a fine balance of bronze—indeed two
of these instruments have been met with here at diiferent times I. Niunbers of Roman coins have
been tui-ned up at Kingsholm, ranging from the early emperors to the abandonment of Britain.
Lysons, and after him, Mr. Akerman, particularly dwells upon those of the emperor Claudius,
which occur in greater abundance than others of the imperial series. These coins are very rude
imitations of the common second brass of this emperor. Their imperfect execution has led both
these writers to refer them to a colonial som'ce. The latter observes, " I t can scarcely be doubted
that these rude coias are in reality the money of the Roman colony, founded, as is beHeved, at
Gloucester soon after the final subjugation of Britain by Claudius §." The name Claudiocestria
was applied at one period to the station itself.
I n March 1852, on digging foundations for houses at Kingsholm, at about 9 feet from the
siu'face, some skeletons were discovered; and it is the skull of one of these that forms the subject
of our lithograph. Many relics of the Roman period were then met with, but, as the excavation
so-called "Four Roman Ways," their names, and the origin
of those names; any more than that of the derivation of
Gloucester itself. Horsley and Dr. Guest place the Erming
Street as leading between London and Lincoln. The latter, to
account for the number of Fosses and Watling Streets, in
England, regards these names as "generic." But Erming
Street, which he derivatively explains as the Street of the Farmings
or Fenmen, he considers a " distinctive name," not applicable
to other than one class of fenmen, those of the great
fens of England. For this argument he has not specified any
reason. Dr. Guest attributes the appHcation of the name
Erming Street to the " Roman road, which passed from South
Wales through Monmouthshire to Gloucester, and thence to
Winchester and Southampton," to Higden the Monk of
Chester. Archaeological Journal, 1857, vol. xiv. p. 100.
* See Mr. John Clarke's interesting notices in the Gentleman's
Magazine, 1853-54, vols. xl. xli. and xlii. New Series. It
is to the pohte attention of this gentleman and tliat of his
brother, Mr. Alfred Clarke, that we are indebted for much information,
and for the Kingsholm skull itself. The former is
the author of "The Architectural History of Gloucester,"
from which a great deal respecting the antiquities of the city
may be learned.
t Archfeologia, vol. vii. p. 3/6 ; where there is besides a
36,
communication from General Melvill, on the sword ; and another
from Mr. Mutlow, describing the discovery of the anti«
quities. It seemed probable that the leaden coffiu had been
enclosed in one of wood, the nails of which " lay iu a regular
position round the place where the leaden one was found."
The sword was not met with in the coffin, but five or six feet
distant. Subsequently, Douglas, in his " Nenia," enters more
fully into Kingsholm antiquities, and illustrates the descriptions
by two fine Plates (XXVI. and XXVII,) from his own accurate
pencil. In the former the blade of the broad iron sword
is given of full size, viz. only nineteen inches long to the remains
of the strig to which the handle was attached. This
sword has been two-edged and furnished with a long tapering
point, the breadth of the blade being considered to have been
increased before the commencement of this taperness. Douglas
expresses no confidence in its being Roman, and, it may be remarked,
this people did not inter arms with their dead.
Although the spot is prolific in Roman antiquities, Saxon
coins and some other remains have been met with at Kijigsholm
; which might be expected in and about a town continuously
inhabited from the times of the Ancient Britons.
X Archseologia, vol. x. p. 132.
§ Ibid. vol. xviii. pi. 8. Proceedings of the Society of
Antiquaries, vol. iii. p. 50.
(2)
MEASUREMENTS.
Horizontal circumference . 20-5 inches.
Longitudinal diameter . . • 7-3 „
Frontal Region.—Length. . • 5-0 „
Breadth . • 4-9 „
Height . • 4-6 „
Parietal Region.—Length • 4-6 „
Breadth . • 5-4 „
Height . . 4-6 „
Occipital Region-—Length
Breadth
Height
Intermastoid arch . . .
Internal capacity . . .
Pace.—Length . . . .
Breadth . . . .
4-8 inches.
4-3 „
4-1 „
14-5 „
67 onnces,
4'5 inches.
5 1 „
plate, ^ol. xln. , . 24«. A second brass of Nero .s fine eon- anJ holding in the right hand a bnekler inscribed s p a u
dmon. and has tl,e legend, n . r o c l avd. c a k s a r a v g . o k r . f Nenia Britannica, p. 13.5.
(J. B. D.)
3«.
i l .
üiiii;
ANCIENT ROMAN-GLOUCESTER {OLEVUM).
was in the hands of workmen, no accui'ate account can be given of them. There was a number
of large red earthen urns, one more than a foot in height and of elegant form; fragments of
bronze; lamps,-one of gilt bronze retains a portion of its suspensory chain; and several coins of
Augustus, Glaudms, Nero, and Vespasian, as weU as other medals*.
_ This is the skull of a man of apparently more than fifty years of age. Although small, it
IS characteristically Roman in every feature. Its short, square face has an erect outline, but lias
suffered some deterioration of form by reason of the loss, during life, of many teeth, and particularly
of the incisors of both mandibles. The lower jaw is shaUow, but wide at its glenoid
extremities, and the chin is rather prominent. The cheek-depressions of the upper maxiUaries
are deep. The nose is long and aquiline, but not prominent; and its root is on a level mt h the
glabeUa. The forehead is broad, low, quadrangular, and fuU at the upper part on each side
The frontal suture is persistent. The somewhat low vault of the calvarium is uniform well
filled out at the sides, and descends rather abruptly towards the occiput. The superior occipital
region projects distinctly. The widest part of the brain-case is a little more than an inch
above, and almost the same distance behind, the auditory foramina.
I t belongs to the platycephalic series ; and presents so markedly those peculiarities of form
which irradiate Roman crania, that, although it may be somewhat deficient in the hio-her
characters of select skulls derived from the ancient sepulchres of Italy, it is very fit to be considered
typical, and most likely belonged to one of pui-e Roman extraction.
Douglas was inclined to regard the discoveries he describes, as referable to a late period
and to a Roman Chi-istian intermentf. Various coins of the lower emperors were thi-own up •
the latest, he thought, belonged to Ai-cadius. The excavations of 1852 brought to li^ht no object
mdicatmg so recent a date: and it is not improbable that the Roman graves then found mav
be attributed to the second or even the fii-st centui-y.
Ì 11 !(