MONUMENT NO. 370088

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A Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman religious site, and medieval moot. The first deposits consisted of five Bronze Age cremations dating between 1400 and 1000 BC. A later Iron Age religious centre is implied through the discovery of over 200 gold and bronze coins and 50 brooches, mostly in mint condition. A succeeding Romano-Celtic temple was excavated in 1927, 1935-7, and between 1962-71. The first phase dated to the last quarter of the 1st century AD. The temple was extensively altered in the 3rd century and continued in use into the 4th century. A life size statue head of Minerva was found in the 4th century levels. The mound was later used as a Saxon and medieval moot. Scheduled.

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(TL 4680 1229) ROMAN TEMPLE (R) (site of) (NAT) (1)

A Romano Celtic temple excavated in 1927 by Miller Christy, situated on a natural hillock, 250 yards west of Harlow railway station. A ditch surrounding the base of the hillock was interpreted as the boundary of the temenos and a hollow at the north end as a sacred pool (2) (see plan). The latter has been proved by excavation to be natural (3). Further excavations by N F France (3) about 1968 have shown containing use of the site for religous purposes, beginning with five Bronze Age cremations in urns dated between 1400 and 1000 BC. In the Late Iron Age the site is seen to develop as a major religious centre, the evidence being largely some 205 coins and over 50 brooches, mostly in mint condition, deposited in a clearly defined pre-temple layer. Three categories of coins are represented:
1. Thirteen or fourteen gold coins of 50-40 BC from beneath the floor of the temple.
2. Thirty three bronze coins of Tasciovanus found on the south west of the site dated around O.
3. The remainder, mainly of Cunobeline continuing to the Conquest but including some of the Coritani and Durotriges, suggesting pilgrimages from other parts of Britain; scattered over the south half of the site. The deposition of coins continued into the Roman period, stopping at Vespasian (69-79). The temple was built under Vespasian, then remodelled in the second century, with final re-building at the end of the second century coming to an end at the time of Constantine (306-337). (See plans) Coins however, continued to be deposited to the time of Gratian (367-383). (2-3)

The natural mound occupied by the Roman Temple was later re-used as the meeting palce of the Harlow Hundred. Excavation of the Roman temple centred TL 46801231 have now been concluded and its foundatiion plan laid out and incorporated into a public open space. The finds have been distributed among local museums. (4)

Surveyed at 1:1,2500. (5)

Full report on excavations at Harlow temple between 1962-71 with a detailed archaeological history of previous work. The prehistoric origins of the site as a religious centre are certain although no structures have been found. The first phase of the Roman temple dated to the last quarter of the 1st century AD. Initially it consisted of a square cella surrounded by an ambulatory. Following a period long enough to allow a few inches of occupation debris to accumulate on the cobbled surface that had also been laid at this time the whole was enclosed by a palisade with a possible timber gateway. The temple then continued in this form until the early 3rd century AD when there were extensive alterations. The site was subjected to much levelling. Several rooms were added to the south and west sides of the temple and the palisade was replaced by a flint and tile wall with a large, possible ornamental gateway in the centre of the south side. A free standing alter was placed opposite it in front of the entrance of the temple in the courtyard thus formed, whilst its outer walls had long flanking rooms built against them on either side. The rooms were given tesselated floors and painted plastered walls. The temple continued in use well into the 4th century AD until presumably it was partially destroyed, or fell into disuse and decay. The temple is associated with the Holbrook's Factory site (TL 41 SE 4). Whether the temple served the settlement at Holbrook's, or what is more likely, it grew up to provide the pilgrims with offerings and other amenities, awaits further investigation. Roman deposits have also been found further north in the factory complex (TL 41 SE 45). The records, pottery, card index and all the finds except the British coins are deposited with the Harlow Museum, also the site books of the 1935/37 excavation. The British coins are at the British Museum. (6)

Two sites were investigated on the temple mound in 1985. One site revealed few archaeological features. The second on the western side opf the temple courtyard concentrated on the 4th century AD destruction levels, revealing large quantities of burnt building materials and dressed stone. Associated with these levels was a life-size limestone head of Minerva, which had been defaced, and which may have been the cult statue of the temple. In addition, mid to late 4th century pottery and sixty-two Belgic coins were also recovered from the levels. The finds are in Harlow Museum. (7)

TL 467122 Harlow Roman Temple. Scheduled 62. (8)

Additional reference. (9)

It is uncertain if the Saxon moot was held on the site of the Roman temple or at a nearby tumulus at Gilden Way. The old name for the this latter site "mudborow" is derived from the Old English (ge)mot beorh (Moot Hill). (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

6" 1960

( 2) The Antiquaries journal : journal of the Society of Antiquaries of London

(R E M Wheeler) 8, 1928 Page(s)300-26

( 3) Current archaeology

11, 1968 Page(s)281-290

( 4) Essex Archaeological Society transactions

18, 1928 Page(s)190-1

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 PAS 26-JUN-75

( 6) by N E France and B M Gobel 1985 The Romano-British temple at Harlow, Essex

( 7) Essex archaeology and history : transactions of Essex Archaeological Society

(D Priddy) 17, 1986 Page(s)161

( 8) English Heritage 1987 County list of Scheduled Ancient Monuments : December 1987

Essex Page(s)12

( 9) Essex Archaeological and Historical Congress Essex journal: a review of archaeology and local history

(K Davison) 8.2, 1973 Page(s)27

(10) by Stephen Pewsey, Andrew Brooks 1993 East Saxon heritage: an Essex gazetteer

Page(s)45

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