Victoria
County History of Kent Vol. 3
1932 Romano-British
Kent - Military History Page 58
suggested that IV
might be TV and part of NEPTVNO;
Fortunae is quite as possible. One L. Aufidius Pantera
commanded an ala of Lancers on the Danube frontier in
A.D. 133, and might be the same as this Pantera, or at least a
relative. In that case the altar dates from the first half or
middle of the second century. The style of the lettering
unfortunately gives no decisive clue, but it would well agree
with some such date.
The altar was found in 1850 among the foundations
of the east gate. It had obviously belonged to some earlier
shrine, and, like many other stones in this foundation, had been
used up again when the gate was constructed. An interval must
have elapsed between its first and its second use. For, when
found, it was partly covered with barnacles, like a stone
mentioned above, and had evidently lain in salt water before it
was taken for the foundations of the gate. Thus it illustrates
in a significant way the history of the Roman occupation of the
spot.92
The other inscriptions found in Stutfall Castle are
variously formed stamps of the classis Britannica (cf.
P1. IX). They also were found in 1850, used up as building
material. ‘In no instance’ (writes Mr. Roach Smith) ‘was a
stamped tile found perfect, neither was one tile of the numerous
perfect ones found in the ruins of the houses or on the line of
the wall of the castrum, stamped.’ He draws the natural
conclusion that the stamped tiles came from older buildings and
had been used up again, like so much else, when the fort was
established. He also mentions a tile stamped P.N.
. . ., broken at the end.93
Other small objects are few and unimportant. A
handful of bronze trifles—2 fibulae, a bracelet, the
‘cusp’ of a spear, a spoon and a ring—an intaglio of a
seated figure cut on an amethyst, some window and other glass,
two iron chisels and various nails, complete the recorded
examples. Mr. Roach Smith may well say that on no Roman site
‘has there ever been such a paucity of minor objects
discovered as at Lympne.94 Even coins are
scarce. Before 1850 nothing was recorded save one gold
Valentinian. In the excavations 153 decipherable specimens came
to light, all but 2 of these Third Brass :— |
1 Pius (First Brass)
39 Gallienus to Probus
36 Carausius and Allectus |
10 Diocletian, Maximian, Chlorus.
63 Constantinian (incl. 1 Licinius).
1 Magnentius, 1 Valens and 1 Gratian (denarius). |
In addition 108 illegible coins were found,
many of which (says Mr. Smith) probably belong to the
Constantines, Valens and Gratian.95 The
coins found in 1894 consist of 3 Tetricus, 3 Carausius, 2
Allectus, 2 Maximin Daza (not Maximin I), 2 Maximian, 3
Constantine I, 1 Crispus, 1 Constantine II,
92 C. R. Smith, Report,
p. 25 and plate vii; hence Wright, Wanderings of an
Antiquary, p. 131, Lewin, Arch. xl, 380, wrongly
reading Pantera(nus) and others; Corpus Inscr. Lat. vii,
no. 18; Eph. Ep. ix, p. 514. The stone is now in
the British Museum. Unfortunately its value as an historic
document has been much damaged by an unintelligent application
of paint to the lettering. in consequence Mr. Roach Smith’s
plate is reproduced here.
93 C. R. Smith, Report, plate
vi and p. 34; hence Corpus Inscr. Lat. V11, 1226, 1249,
and other writers. Four of the tiles are in the British Museum.
94 The excavations of 1894 yielded
much coarse pottery and one tiny waterworn fragment of an
embossed Samian bowl, possibly of the late second or the third
century (found near the surface of the mound), some iron ~tools,
a bronze ring and a jet bead.
95 C. R. Smith, Richborough,
etc., p. 260; Report, pp. 31, 32 |
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