Public Servant Lifestyle

Fast food, cheap souvenirs and a good fight - another typical day out at the amphitheatre, according to English Heritage.

Football just wouldn't be the same without the obligatory burger vans and stalls selling cheap scarves outside the ground. But the latest finds by archaeologists, led by Tony Wilmott who is based in Fort Cumberland, Hampshire, working at Chester Amphitheatre suggest things may not have changed that much in the last 2,000 years.

The dig, jointly carried out by English Heritage and Chester City Council, has uncovered a large number of animal bones discarded by fast-food loving spectators in the 8,000 seater stadium. Experts have also discovered remains of a number of miniature bowls, decorated with pictures of gladiators, which may have been sold as cheap souvenirs to fans.

All Change?

English Heritage archaeologist Tony Wilmott, said: "In many ways nothing's changed. People liked fast food snacks and throwaway souvenirs just as sports fans do today. One of the interesting things about this dig is what we've been able to find out about the area immediately outside the amphitheatre. This suggests there were a number of a small short-lived timber buildings around the edge which would have been used to sell these sort of things to fans on their way in."

Experts are, however, puzzled by quantities of yellow sand found in this perimeter area that contrasts with the native red sand. The presence of a human tooth in these deposits suggests the yellow sand may have been raked up from the arena and dumped outside.

The dig has revealed that Chester had two amphitheatres, both stone built, which were unlike anything else in this country. An external stairway on one, which took spectators to the upper tiers, is being compared to a similar construction in Pompeii.

The first amphitheatre dates from 100AD and is believed to have held 5,000 spectators. The second, which replaced the original on the same site, contained a number of extra tiers and had a capacity of 7-8,000. It is not yet known when this was built.

Inside spectators, both soldiers and civilians, would have watched gladiatorial combat, wild beast hunts, floggings and public executions and circus-style animal displays. Remains of animal bones indicate they snacked on the Roman equivalent of spare ribs while they enjoyed the entertainment. Chicken bones, coriander seeds and - curiously - poppy seeds have also been found on the site.

Grandeur

A clearer picture is also emerging of Chester's place in the hierarchy of Roman Britain. The grandeur of the buildings, including the amphitheatres, suggests to some that it may have been developed as a possible base for an invasion of Ireland.

The dig is part of a three-year joint project between English Heritage and Chester City Council that will use findings to determine the future conservation of the site.

Dan Garner, an archaeologist with Chester City Council, said: "Any thoughts that Chester's amphitheatre was used purely for military purposes such as military tattoos or drill practice can now be firmly banished. Human remains recovered during both the present excavations and earlier work at the site in the 1930's and 1960's clearly demonstrate that people were meeting a rather brutal end in Chester's arena.

"In fact the sort of scenes immortalised by the blockbuster movie 'Gladiator' are probably not that far removed from the sort of entertainment Chester's residents could have expected to see in the second century AD.'"

A total of 33,585 people visited the amphitheatre dig in 2004 alone, using a specially-constructed walkway across the site and an interpretation centre where archaeologists can be seen working on finds.

This dig continues to attract 40,000-plus visitors to Chester, bringing new jobs and investment in their wake. One of the earliest centres of Christianity in northern Britain, archaeologists in Chester are hoping to clear up the question of whether there was a post-Roman church on the site, possibly a precursor to the medieval St John's Church that still stands today. There is also great interest in the relationship between the amphitheatre, which staged military spectacles and religious festivals, its immediate surroundings, and the use of the river.

Chester Amphitheatre is in the guardianship of English Heritage and is managed by Chester City Council under a local management agreement. The site is free to the public and open at any reasonable time. English Heritage provides advice and support relating to all aspects of the historic environment. It is the principal public body and the Government's chief advisor for the historic environment in England.

For more information visit the Chester Amphitheatre Project website or check out the Chester Archaeology pages, which feature details of the digs so far.

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