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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