South Shields, Roman cremation cemetery

HER Number:
903

District:
S Tyneside

Site Name:
South Shields, Roman cremation cemetery

Place:
South Shields

Map Sheet:
NZ36NE

Class:
Religious Ritual and Funerary

Site Type: Broad:
Cemetery

Site Type: Specific:
Cremation Cemetery

General Period:
Roman

Specific Period:

Form of Evidence:
Implied Evidence

Description:
During the latter part of the 19th century, while both archaeological excavations and building works were in progress in the vicinity of the Roman fort on the Lawe, a number of finds were made suggesting the existence of Roman cemeteries south of the south-west corner of the fort. The finds diagnostic of a cremation cemetery were "many urns...with calcined ashes within, and marks of fire around". A bronze coin (possibly of Domitian) was found in an urn near Bath Street. Bidwell has located these discoveries on the north side of Coston Drive, north-west of the junction with James Mather Street. Fragments of tombstones and other funerary monuments were also found in the vicinity (HER nos. 896-901). Excavations in 1993 in Morton Walk, 300 metres south-west of the fort, revealed 2 cremations of 2nd century A.D. date.

Easting:
364

Northing:
675

Grid Reference:
NZ364675

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 903 >> Rev. R.E. Hooppell, 1880, On the...Exploration of Roman Remains at South Shields in...1875-6, Transactions Natural History Society Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle-on-Tyne, Vol. VII, p. , plate V C. Bruce, 1880, On the recent discoveries in the Roman Camp on the Lawe... Archaeologia Aeliana, 2, X, 223 P.T. Bidwell, 1988, The Civilian Settlement...of the Roman Fort at South Shields, nos. 13 ii, iii M. Snape, 1993, Excavations...1992-3...Morton Walk, South Shields, The Arbeia Journal, Vol. II, pp. 55-59