AD 50 - The story of Roman London - Boudica's burning of Southwark
Boudica's burning of Southwark
In AD 60, barely 10 years after the foundation of London, Boudica, queen of the Iceni in Norfolk, rose in revolt. Sweeping south, she sacked and burnt the leading towns of Roman Britain, seeking to exterminate the civilisation she detested. Colchester and St Albans went up in flames, and so too did London, demonstrating that already by this time, London had become one of the major towns in the country. Archaeologists have long recognised the burnt layer that marks her destruction. Hitherto however it has been assumed that her destruction only extended to the city of London itself, on the north side of the river.
Now the latest evidence shows that she penetrated to the south of the river, to Southwark. Already, within the first 10 years of its existence, London had acquired its first and most important suburb.
Roman Southwark
This is surely one of the most spectacular archaeological photos of all time. This is the new booking hall of the underground station at London Bridge, in Southwark, to the south of the River Thames.
Above is the modern road, with the traffic roaring overhead, and the sewage pipes and service channels suspended from the ceiling. And at the bottom, the archaeologists are excavating the Roman road, the predecessor to the modern road above.
The Burning
Here, an archaeologist is seen drawing the layers of burning found in one of the buildings flanking the Roman road at London Bridge. This provides the evidence that Boudica crossed to the south bank and burnt Southwark too: thus Southwark must have existed by this time - and does this mean that the London bridge had also been constructed?
A Roman lamp
One of the most remarkable finds was this pottery foot which is in fact a lamp - the wick burnt in the big toe.
Following the Boudican fire, the site was soon re-occupied by timber buildings, and this lamp was found in a palisade slot, dating to the late 1st century. It may have been made in Holland.
Note the projecting second toe - a typical feature of Roman feet.
