Prehistoric and Roman Berkhamsted

an middle bronze age (c.1500 1300 bc) copper chisel found in berkhamsted.

neolithic, bronze age, iron age , roman artefacts show berkhamsted area of bulbourne valley has been settled on 5,000 years. discovery of large number of worked flint chips provides neolithic evidence of on-site flint knapping in centre of berkhamsted. several settlements dating neolithic iron age (about 4500–100 bc) have been discovered south of berkhamsted. 3 sections of late bronze age iron age (1200–100 bc) bank , ditch, sixteen feet (five metres) wide 7 thirteen feet (two 4 metres) high , known grim s ditch, found on south side of bulbourne valley. iron age dyke same name on berkhamsted common, on north side of valley.

in late iron age, prior roman occupation, valley have been within catuvellauni territory. bulbourne valley rich in timber , iron ore. in late iron age, four-square-mile (ten-square-kilometre) area around northchurch became major iron production centre, considered 1 of important late iron age , roman industrial areas in england. iron production led settlement of roman town @ cow roast, 2 miles (three kilometres) northwest of berkhamsted. 4 first century iron smelting bloomeries @ dellfield (one mile (two kilometres) northwest of town centre) provide evidence of industrial activity in berkhamsted. production ceased @ end of roman period. other evidence of roman-british occupation , activity in berkhamsted area, includes pottery kiln on bridgewater road. town s high street still follows line of roman-engineered akeman street, had been pre-existing route st albans (verulamium) cirencester (corinium).

during roman occupation countryside close verulamium subdivided series of farming estates. berkhamsted area appears have been divided 2 or 3 farming estates, each including 1 or more masonry villa buildings, tiled roofs , underfloor heating.

the remains of villa found close river in 1973 in adjacent village of northchurch. oldest building, made of timber, built in ad 60, rebuilt using stone in 2nd century, , enlarged ten-room building around ad 150. house may have been empty period, reoccupied in 4th century, , abandoned in late 4th or 5th century.
a roman-british villa, dyke, , temple found 1.25 miles (2.01 km) nnw of castle, near frithesden, @ edge of berkhamsted golf course. excavations in 1954 revealed masonry foundations , tesserae floors. together, villa, dyke , temple form unique complex, suggesting occupation in late iron age , roman period.
two flint , tile walls roman building found north of berkhamsted castle in 1970. construction of castle s earthworks in middle ages may have damaged building.




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^ thompson & bryant 2005, p. 4.
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