Sector 3 «South Gate, late Roman wall» Sector 3

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South Gate, Tardor-Roman Wall

By Idoia Filloy Nieva and Eliseo Gil Zubillaga

This sector corresponds to the excavation of the area next to the South Gate of the wall, built in the Tardor-Roman period (in transit between the III-IV centuries AD) and which enclosed inside a hamlet of more than 10 Ha. of the last phases of the city of Veleia. In this area, the wall has outer lining of large white limestone ashlars (material at least largely reused) and a core of calcareous masons locked with mortar. In turn the inner leaf is composed of limestone masonry locked with mortar, reinforced by rows of ashlars (foundation and horizontal bands) among which, again, the reused elements stand out. The South Gate is flanked by two semicircular towers. It would be a monumental door, with a half-point arch, protected by a rake, from which the starts of the side rails still remain. The towers had an important development in height (still retained more than 9 m in some points). The thickness of the walls is also very noticeable (between 4.5 and 5.5 meters). In his excavations, G. Nieto Gallo (1949-1954) unscowed much of the wall from its outer part.
The excavation area, known as sector 3, is located specifically next to the west tower and in its part intramural. J.C. Elorza Guinea (1974-1975), carried out an excavation there using the old Wheeler system of paintings that left witnesses among themselves. We know virtually nothing of what was located in these works, of which only a few remains of walls and witnesses already ravaged by erosion were seen. During the excavations of E. Gil Zubillaga, specifically in those carried out between 2003 and 2008, witnesses left by Elorza were removed and work began on the intact part of an enclosure (the 1st) that it had not finished excavating, as well as in the perimeter areas of the old excavation for its regularization. It was here and in enclosure 1, where graphites of exceptional character appeared.

Enclosure 1

Enclosure corresponding to a possible domestic space adjuded to the wall in the Tardor-Roman period, of which it is not possible to specify any more, since its levels of occupation have disappeared, being preserved only at the level of subsoil. Partially excavated by Elorza, who left a small area intact, later excavated by Gil Zubillaga. Only its boundaries were preserved S. - the wall itself - and E. -which reused a wall attached to it and possibly built as containment of the lands attached to it at the end of the III - (the other wall that is observed in the plane in the W. part of the late enclosure, was not part of it, but was a high-imperial structure located by Elorza and which would mark one of the cantiles of its excavation). We do not know the surface of this enclosure when it was used as a domestic space. It is an area with different uses over time because, when the wall was built (over what had been an old area of high-imperial urban occupation), it was part of the structure system of it. In this way, the fillings located under the tardor-Roman occupation level, would correspond to this system, possibly a land terrnation subjected by transverse walls or even a platform of access to the service of the inner face of the wall. The area was not dignified in all its depth. Exceptional graphites were located in the filler levels for soil preparation for the Tardor-Roman occupation, UUEE 3037-B and 3023, as well as in a powerful filling related to the construction of the wall, specifically in the EU 3024.

Graphites and their contexts

A total of 181 graffiti appeared in this sector distributed in different UUES. Of these, we consider exceptional a total of 9: 1 of the 12 located in the EU 3001 (in zone W. of the sector), 5 of the 10 located in the EU 3037-B, 1 of the 8 located in the EU 3023 and 2 of the 22 located in the EU 3024-B. , but appear in isolation among others. In addition, having been located on contributed lands, we do not know what original contexts come from.

Therefore, with regard to the chronology, we must bear in mind that the ones offered here are those corresponding to the moment of formation of each of the strata. That would give us the dating ante quem graphites. But it should not be overlooked that, in the case of sector 3, these correspond to fillers, where the archaeological material is in secondary arrangement, so that the chronology of the graphites could be previous, taking as terminus post quem, the support's own dating.
Finally, some of the UES in this sector were excavated in several sizes (called with letters) given their great potency. Sizes imply nothing more than a more detailed work of stratum documentation by depths.

No enclosure

(Area W. expansion of the sector)

UE 3001-B

Agricultural removal stratum.
Stratigraphic relations: under the EU 3001 (surface layer of agricultural removal). It covered the EU 3074 (remnants of a level, possibly still removal) and the EU 3076 (intact stratum of tardor-Roman depreciation).
Timeline: The support of graphite located in this EU is clearly Roman, but stratigraphy does not provide chronological data as it is the surface stratum.

Enclosure 1

UE 3037B

Powerful filling attached to the wall, to level the area and settle on it a level of occupation. This new domestic space, took advantage of the wall itself as closure of one of its sides, as well as what had been a structure related to it (EU 3049), to which this filling was also added. However, there was also a post-historical contribution of stones from the collapse of the wall, even after the excavations of the 70, at the top of the stratum.
Stratigraphic relations: this EU appeared directly under the plant mantle and under part of the fallen debris of the wall. It covered USES 3022 and 3023 (other fillers poured for the same purpose). Excavated in two sizes, having appeared the exceptional graphites in the lower.
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (early 5th century AD)

UE 3023

First level of filling attached to the wall, to level the area and settle on it a level of occupancy. This new domestic space, took advantage of the wall itself as closure of one of its sides, as well as what had been a structure related to it (EU 3049) to which this filling was also added.
Stratigraphic relations: this EU appeared under the EU 3037 (filling) and settled on the EU 3120 (interface corresponding to the overhaul of the area that had previous use in relation to the defensive space adjacent to the wall itself by its inner part).
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (early 5th century AD)

UE 3024

Powerful filling added to the wall, possibly provided in order to create a terrace or an access ramp to it on its inside. The wall located in E. (EU 3049), to which this filling was also attached, possibly corresponded to a containment structure of the land contributed.
Stratigraphic relations: under the EU 3120 (reconditioning interface) and over the EU 3024-B (second size of this same filling). Two carvings were excavated from this, although there was a third more on the rock, which was not finished digging. The exceptional graphites appeared on top of the filling.
Timeline: end century 3rd century AD.

Enclosures (see found oysters)

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