The lecture covered the results of the PreConstruct Archaeology excavations at Tabard Square in Southwark. The site was occupied by industrial buildings until 2001. Luckily, these buildings did not impinge on the underlying archaeology. However, the site had to be excavated as it was proposed to construct an underground car park for new residential accommodation to be built by Berkley Homes.

The original intention was that the investigation was to be purely topographical, as it was not expected that much evidence of occupation would be found. This was the case for prehistory as only some pottery and a polished axe head were found.

However, large early Roman timbers were found in conjunction with robbed out walls together with pottery in good condition and two coins from the 1st century AD. This led to the idea that the site had contained a winged villa. There was also evidence of a precinct wall.

Further excavations showed two additional robbed out structures (thought to be temples) in the precinct on either side of the villa with funerary goods and cremations again from the 1st century AD. Between the temples the “Tabard Tablet” was found. This is thought to have been set up by a trader from France and is the first to have been found inscribed with the word …….. “ Londinium “.

Nearby a ditch was excavated which produced a large number of items. These included a large amount of timber, a writing tablet, shoes, complete pots, an oil lamp and various pieces of jewellery. The most interesting find was a pot of cream still with fingerprints in the cream, which has had extensive media coverage and is, at present, being analysed. The site and the artefacts are at present being analysed. From a site where very little was expected a lot of artefacts have been found and information obtained. We look forward to hearing about the results of the evaluation of the dig.

John Richardson