Rotherley, Cranborne Chase, Wiltshire. Analysis of wood charcoal remains from the Pitt Rivers Archive, The Salisbury Museum
Author(s): Zoë Hazell, Gill Campbell
During excavations in the late 1880s led by General Pitt Rivers at the Romano-British villa of Rotherley, Wiltshire, wood charcoal was recovered; examination of the material at the time included identifications of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.). As part of a wider project investigating the history of the species in the British Isles, detailed analysis and recording of the charcoal remains (held in archive at The Salisbury Museum) were undertaken. The remains originally identified as sweet chestnut have now been re-identified, resulting in no secure identifications of sweet chestnut. Given that Rotherley (together with Woodcutts, Dorset) has long been cited as one of the principal sites providing evidence of sweet chestnut as a Roman introduction, these revised results necessitate re-evaluation of the status of sweet chestnut in this country.
- Report Number:
- 58/2018
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 22
- Keywords:
- Charcoal Plant Remains Roman Wood
