Long thought to have been abandoned after 410 AD, Roman villas like Chedworth were believed to mark the end of a lavish Roman lifestyle in Britain. But new radiocarbon dating of a finely crafted mosaic reveals it was laid in the late 5th century, challenging this long-held view.
-So, the traditional view of the end of Roman villas like this is: around 410, the Roman army had left, the monetary economy had collapsed, and people couldnt afford to keep the villas going and so they abandoned them, just like that.
410, thats the end.
-Chedworth is one of more than 40 luxury villas that have been located across the Cotswolds and around Cirencester.
If Cirencester was a city that prospered even after the Romans left, villas like it would have continued to thrive.
But no evidence of a post-Roman lavish lifestyle has been found until now.
-So, which room is this?
-This is the room, this is room 28, and this is where we've got this mosaic.
-National Trust archaeologist Martin Papworth investigated a mosaic in the north wing of Chedworth Villa that surprised everyone.
-What we were setting out to do was to show the mosaic off and record it digitally.
-Now reburied to protect and preserve it, the mosaic is as finely crafted as others found elsewhere in the surrounding area.
-But there were lots of little bits of charcoal, tiny little twigs of charcoal, which is nice.
-Nice for dating, yes.
-Yeah, very nice for dating, it was like a gift really.
-Yes, yes.
-But I really did expect these little twigs to give me a date of late 4th -Late 4th century, yes.
-The radiocarbon dates showed that a new, expensive mosaic was installed in the late 5th century long after the villa wa supposed to have been abandoned.
-Thats where we took th radiocarbon dates, just there.
We came back and we took more samples.
The other two hit the nail on the spot, both the same.
-The beautiful patterns and intricate figures, dating to the late 5th century indicate that people here lived a Roman way of life much later than previously thought.
Other villas in the area are now being re-examined to look for new radiocarbon evidence.
-What your evidence shows is that it didnt all come to an end in the early 5th century -No.
-It carried on.
-It's not quite what it was, but they're holding on, like a fading country house.
They're commissioning a new mosaic, so theyve got some money to make it.
And, presumably, the fact we have mosaicists laying a mosaic in the late 5th century means that they must'v had enough work to keep going.
-Surely, youve got a town -Yes.
- where, where specialis craftsmen still have workshops.
They're still taking work from wealthy people out in the countryside.
The countryside is still a reasonably peaceful plac where they can ply their trade.
-We can imply that Cirencester must still be going.
