people and spaces in roman military bases || rottweil forts i and ii: preparation and assessment of...

Cambridge Books Online

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People and Spaces in Roman Military Bases

Penelope M. Allison

Book DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139600248

Online ISBN: 9781139600248

Hardback ISBN: 9781107039360

Chapter

C - Rottweil Forts I and II: preparation and assessment of the data pp

. 383-398

Chapter DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139600248.017

Cambridge University Press

Appendix C Rottweil Forts I and II: preparation

and assessment of the data

NATURE OF THE DATA AND PROCEDURESFOR DIGITISING

Franke’s artefact catalogues for these two forts include some 2,845 entries,

some of which comprise more than one artefact (Franke 2003: 164–208).

For example, some entries include over fifty ceramic sherds. Also, different

types of artefacts are sometimes catalogued in a single catalogue entry

(e.g. an iron key and a crucible are both cat. no. 891). For the purposes

of this study such catalogue entries have been separated (e.g. into cat. nos.

891 and 891a). Because each entry needed a unique numeric identifier, a

separate numeric field, ‘sort no.’, was created for each entry in the spread

sheet with these identifiers (see Allison 2012: Downloads).

Unlike the artefact catalogues for the other sites in this study, Franke

catalogued these artefacts according to excavation area, so any stray finds

could be provenanced to a particular excavation area. In this analysis they

have therefore been ascribed an arbitrary set of XY co-ordinates within the

relevant excavation area.

A number of pits reportedly in the Hoferstraße 1990 excavations (i.e.

Pits 14, 35, 135, 139, 253 and 265) could not be precisely provenanced

in the GIS maps of this site as they were not included in any of Franke’s

published plans. Given the numbering system for the pits and trenches in

this excavation area, it would seem logical that Pits 14, 35, 253 and 265 were

probably in the fabrica and Pits 135 and 139 in the principia. However, this

is by no means certain, so artefacts from these pits have been ascribed to the

general excavation area and provenanced in the central north part of this

area.

In her provenance-oriented catalogues Franke often included the Period,

and phase, for the context. Thus, the artefacts used in this study

have each been assigned to a particular building phase, as appropri-

ate, based on Franke’s dating and using the codes in the following table

(Table C.1).

383

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384 Appendix C – Rottweil

Table C.1 Building phases of Forts I and II

(Rottweil) and relevant codes used in this study.

Fort Building phase Code

Fort I Period I, generally PI

Period I phase 1 PI_1



Fort II Period II PII

Fort I or II Roman period Rom

Unknown U

ARTEFACT DENSITY AND ROBUSTNESS OF THE DATA

As at Vetera I, artefact density patterns at these two Rottweil forts were

analysed to test the robustness of the data used in these spatial distribu-

tion patterns. However, they were analysed according to excavation area,

rather than building area, as this is how the artefacts have been recorded.

The density distribution of all recorded artefacts from these excavations is

undoubtedly affected by the burning down of some the buildings of Fort

I, at the end of phase 2. For example, Franke observed that the finds-rich

fill of Trench 32, the channel running through the centre of the fabrica to

the west of the principia, consisted of debris from this destruction (Franke

2003: 56). In contrast, almost no finds are attributable to the earlier phase

1 of Fort I (Franke 2003: 138).

The following graph (Figure C.1) shows each excavation area as a per-

centage of the total excavated area. Not included in this calculation are

the excavations of G. Bersu in 1913, or Planck’s excavations of the bath

building, as no artefacts from these excavations are included in this study

(Franke 2003: 16–17). This graph indicates that the excavations carried out

in Tuttlingerstraße between 1993 and 1995, revealing an officer’s residence

and barrack buildings in the south-east corner of Fort I, constituted the

largest excavated area. Next are the excavations in Holderstraße, carried out

in 1991/92 and 1994 in the north-west area of Fort I, next to the Bersu 1913

excavations, which revealed further Fort I barrack buildings.

Percentages and densities of all artefacts

Figure C.2 shows the percentages of artefacts recorded in each of these exca-

vated spaces. It shows that the largest excavation area, in Tuttlingerstraße,



Artefact density and robustness of the data 385

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

% o

f e

xca

va

ted

are

a

Excava�on area

Figure C.1 Each excavation area on the Nikolausfeld, as a percentage of total excavated

area of Forts I and II at Rottweil.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

% o

f a

rte

fact

s

Excava�on area

Figure C.2 Percentage of all artefacts from each excavation area of Forts I and II at

Rottweil.

also produced a high percentage of the artefacts (c. 30 per cent). However,

c. 33 per cent of the recorded artefacts came from the excavations in Hofer-

straße 2–8, the area with the clearest reported evidence that it burnt down

at the end of Period I, phase 2.

Figure C.3 shows the density of artefacts, per m2, in each excavated area.

As might be anticipated, the excavations of the central fabrica and principia

in Hoferstraße in 1990 have a greatest density of all artefacts, followed by

the relatively small area excavated in Stadtfriedhof in 1986/1996, along the

via decumana, where many artefacts were again found in the channels and

ditches. The area with next highest, although considerably lower, artefact




0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

No

. o

f a

rte

fact

s/m

2

Excava�on area

Figure C.3 Density of all artefacts (per m2) in each excavation area of Forts I and II at

Rottweil.

density was the excavations in Tuttlingerstraße, in 1993–95, where many

finds were from the drainage system between the tribune’s house and the

barrack buildings in the south-east part of Fort I. However, the density there

is only one-third that of the artefacts from the Hoferstraße excavations. The

large open area of the Holderstraße excavations of barrack buildings to

the north in retentura, had one of the lowest densities, presumably because

these barracks did not burn down at the end of phase 2 and the excavations

produced mainly evidence of walls and not ditches. This artefact density

pattern needs to be taken into account when analysing the distribution

patterns of specific categories of artefacts. However, as at Vetera I, this

density pattern can be tested for its pervasiveness, across different artefact

types, by analysing the distributions, percentages and densities of the most

prolific artefact types: coins, and fine and utilitarian ceramics.

Spatial distribution, percentages and densities of coins

The distribution of coins in the excavated areas of Forts I and II

(Figure C.4) shows a comparable concentration in the Hoferstraße exca-

vations, in the central area of the fabrica and principia, with twelve of the

twenty-seven coins recorded on this site found in this area. These are mainly




Figure C.4 The distribution pattern of coins, by period, in the excavated areas of Forts

I and II at Rottweil.




0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

% o

f to

tal

coin

s

Excava�on area

Figure C.5 Percentage of coins from each excavation area of Forts I and II at Rottweil.

0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018

No

. o

f co

ins/

m2

Excavated area

Figure C.6 Density of coins (per m2) in each excavation area of Forts I and II at

Rottweil.

undated with no specific provenances within this area, but three were cer-

tainly from Period I phase 2 and two from Period II. These five coins were

all recorded in the fabrica area. Four Period II coins were found in the via

decumana.

The above graphs (Figures C.5 and C.6) show the percentages and den-

sities, respectively, of the coins in each excavation area. The percentages




of coins have some similarities with the percentages of the overall arte-

facts in each area, in that some 45 per cent of the coins are found in the

central Hoferstraße excavations of the fabrica and principia. However, the

15 per cent of the coins in the south-east area of the officer’s house and

barracks is markedly lower than the 30 per cent of overall artefacts found

here. This variation from the overall artefact pattern is even more evident

in the density of coins, where one of the lowest densities of coins is again in

this south-west area.

However, with the low overall number of coins recorded, this pattern is

probably not very significant. Nevertheless it hints, as might be expected, at

more commercial or financial activities in the streets and central adminis-

trative buildings than in the residences of officers and soldiers.

Spatial distribution, percentages and densities of ceramics

Ceramics, on the other hand, make up some 87 per cent of the total number

of artefacts from these forts, with c. 1,000 sherds of fine ceramics and

c. 1,500 sherds of utilitarian ceramics recorded. Their distribution patterns

are, therefore, likely to be relevant for assessing differences between the

distribution patterns of all artefacts and of specific types.

Fine ceramics

The distribution map of all fine ceramics (Figure C.7) shows that these

ceramics were distributed throughout the excavation area with the highest

concentration from the Hoferstraße excavations in the central area of the

both forts. Most of this concentration can be provenanced to either the

fabrica or the general area of both buildings. There also seems to be a notable

concentration from the Tuttingerstraße excavations (1993–1995) in the area

of the tribune’s house and barracks in the south-east area of Fort I, and

another from the 1983 excavations in Legionstraße of barrack buildings

in the north-east area. These distribution patterns seems commensurate

with the overall artefact density, although lacking apparent evidence for a

comparable high density of fine ceramics in the Stadtfriedhof excavations

of the via decumana.

Like the percentages of coins in each area (Figure C.5), the percentages of

the fine ceramics (Figure C.8) differ from the percentages of total artefacts

in each area (Figure C.2) in that c. 45 per cent of the fine ceramics were

recorded in the Hoferstraße excavations, in the central area of the fabrica




Figure C.7 The distribution pattern of fine ceramics in the excavated areas of Forts I

and II at Rottweil.




0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

% o

f to

tal

fin

e c

era

mic

s

Excavated area

Figure C.8 Percentage of fine ceramics from each excavation area of Forts I and II at

Rottweil.

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

No

. o

f a

rte

fact

s/m

2

Excava�on area

Figure C.9 Density of fine ceramics (per m2) in each excavation area of Forts I and II

at Rottweil.

and principia, but only c. 18 per cent from the Tuttingerstraße excavations

in south-east area.

Figure C.9, showing the density pattern for fine ceramics, largely concurs

with the percentages in Figure C.8 but accentuates the relatively low density




of fine ceramics in the south-east area (Tuttingerstraße excavations 1993–

1995).

The fine ceramics from the Hoferstraße excavations in the central area

belonged to all phases of both forts (Figure C.10). However, nearly half of

them (c. 45 per cent) are datable to Period I phase 2 and are from the fabrica,

notably from Trench 32. The fine ceramics in the via decumana, were mainly

datable to Period II as, perhaps surprisingly, were those from the barracks in

the north of the Fort I retentura, which were outside Fort II. A concentration

of Period I fine ceramics was found in the drain and latrine between the

tribune’s house and the barrack building in the south-east corner of Fort I.

The fine ceramics found in Pit 20, identified as a rubbish pit or latrine, in the

north-east corner of Fort I fortifications (Hohenstraße, 1987 excavations),

again outside Fort II, date to Period II, as do those in Pit 213, which was

probably also a rubbish pit, outside the South Gateway to the via principalis

of Fort II (Tuttlingerstraße, 1993–95 excavations).

In summary the density and distribution patterns of fine ceramics reflect

the marked concentration for all artefacts and coins in the area of the fabrica,

but differ from both these distribution patterns in the relative densities of

fine ceramics in the buildings in the south-east part of Fort I.

Utilitarian ceramics

The distribution pattern for utilitarian ceramics (Figure C.11) is comparable

to that of the fine ceramics (Figure C.7), but these ceramics are seemingly

less prominent in the central area and more prominent the south-east area

of Fort I.

Figure C.12 shows the percentages of the utilitarian ceramics in each area.

For this artefact type the highest percentage (c. 40 per cent) was found in

the Tuttlingerstraße, 1993–95 excavations in the south-east area while only

about 21 per cent was from the Hoferstraße excavations in the central area.

The next highest percentage (c. 13 per cent) was from the Stadtfriedhof

excavations in the via decumana.

Figure C.13 shows the density pattern for these utilitarian ceramics. It

shows that their density is highest in the via decumana area (the Stadt-

friedhof, 1986/96 excavations), and that the density in the central area is

less markedly different from that in the south-east area (Tuttlingerstraße,

1993–95 excavations). These density and distribution patterns differ from

those for all artefacts and for coins and are also notably different from the

patterns for fine ceramics.




Figure C.10 The distribution pattern of fine ceramics, by period, in the excavated areas of

Forts I and II at Rottweil.




Figure C.11 The distribution pattern of utilitarian ceramics in the excavated areas of

Forts I and II at Rottweil.




0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45%

of

tota

l u

�li

tari

an

ce

ram

ics

Excava�on area

Figure C.12 Percentage of utilitarian ceramics from each excavation area of Forts I and

II at Rottweil.

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

No

. o

f a

rte

fact

s/m

2

Excavation area

Figure C.13 Density of utilitarian ceramics (per m2) in each excavation area of Forts I

and II at Rottweil.

When the utilitarian ceramics distribution is plotted by period

(Figure C.14), the chronological distribution seems comparable to that

of the fine ceramics (Figure C.10). The marked difference, though, is the

greater concentrations of Period I utilitarian ceramics in the south-east area

of Fort I and in the barracks in the north-east corner of Fort II (Legionstraße




Figure C.14 The distribution pattern of utilitarian ceramics, by period, in the

excavated areas of Forts I and II at Rottweil.




21/23, 1983 excavations). There were more undatable stray finds of fine than

utilitarian ceramics. However, this may be related to recording approaches

to utilitarian ceramics.

The distribution pattern for utilitarian ceramics could conceivably result

from a change in excavation strategy between 1990 and 1993 but this is

improbable given the still high percentages of utilitarian ceramics from the

1990 excavations.

Thus, taking into account the impact of depositional processes on the

concentrations of artefacts recorded from the Hoferstraße excavations in

the central area, further lack of uniformity between these density and dis-

tribution patterns of overall artefacts and of specific classes of these most

prolific types of artefacts suggests that at least some of the artefact dis-

tribution pattern within these forts reflects variation of building, or area,

use.



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