Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-30
EARLIEST CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Found in Ruins of a Long Buried Roman
CITY Near London.

tine earliest Christian church yet DIS
covered in Britain were found in the
corner Of n long-burled Roman CITY
that il now being brought TO hight
near Reading some thirtv-Gve miles
from London. A Roman council cham
Der. extensive pubic baths the re-
mains OF "a triumphai arch. workshops,
and many other hlgbly-interestlng relics
OF the Roman occupation. and also OF still
earlier times in Brita'n's history, were
lately found there, but the remains Of this
Christian church are by far the most i'm
portant and interesting to England and to
the world.
Anuquarians have long believed that
city OF considerable size once stood there
on the English acres whore cOrn-helds
have been since the memory OF ihan. he
story was told and the city almost rebuilt
year after year 10y the ripening gram rs It
followed the line of entrenchment.
The story Of the wheat has been verified
for many acres. and search along the lines
Of the early-rIpcnng grain has laid the
city bare by opening up the original
streets. The old city was laid out IN exact
squares. checker board fashion, precisely
as Ii a modern American city.
Desultory digging was done for some
wears. but only in the past year or so have
excavations been made in thorough and
scientific manner by the Society OF Anti
Quaries. The city is believed to be tue old
Roman city OF Calleva and dates back
almost TO the beginning Of the Christian
era.
pRT-ROMAN OCCUPANTS.
The Romans found an encampment and
rude CITY when they came there, and IN
tercstlng relics of the pre-Roman occn-
PANTS of the site have been discovered.
The Romans utilized the works already
existing, and. after laying out their city,
built great wall around it twenty feet
high and nine feet thick, surrounding the
wall on the outer side by a deep moat.
The remains OF the Christian church
were found III the southeast corner Of the
city. 1t is the earliest Christian church
found IN Britain. The present SUPPOSE
ton il tnar it was built about $50 4. D..
when Callcva was quite an old city. IL
was very small building, suggestive OF
the small beginnings OF the fAlth. Its eX-
treme length was ~ feet.
II had semi-circular ending. and was
divided into a small nave and two aisles,
with q very large porch at the east end.
The church stood east and west, but,
contrary to modern custom, the altar was
at the western end. The position OF the
altar Is marked bv large square of mo-
sac, the colOrs of which are black, white,
red. and greenish gray, and are quite fresh.
The composition Of the mosaic IS the
ordinary red brick. Purbeck MAI bic, hard
eped chalk, and limestone. The floor OF
the church was LAID with tesSerF an inch
square. A little tiled platform was found
just east of the church. believed TO have
been a receptacle for water for the use OF
those entering the church. A we'll of Ordl-
nary construction, lined with oak, was
found west of the end of the church. The
oak is ia state of preservation.
COUNCIL CHAMBER.
D., oourcU choubar with a boIl
27O feet long by So feet wide, il one of the
interesting finds. IL is divided into three
parts. the northern and southern used as
law courts and the central chamber by the
governing body. The forum in front Of
the chamber, where the citizens met, Is
about 40 feet square.
Offices aud shops a1d stores have been
discovered all over the city, and from
them have been gathered the most COM
plete and interesting collection of Roman
relics vet secured. Weights and measures
have been found, lamps and candlesticks,
all manner of pottery and art-works, gems
and ieweIry. bangles and brooches. and
rings. knives. needles. spoons, and III fact,
practically every article III use IL big
city at that age.
ton is "a case full of silver and copper
coins. Most Of them are IN state OF me
ureservatiou. and they date from the be-
SHINING of the Roman Empire in Britain
until It's end. One is dated A. d. s.. and
the CONS range from this period down 10
the tire of Arcadius and Hon0rius, when
the Romans withdrew from Britain.
MANY remains OF animals were found,
aruoug them skulls of the domestic British
OK. which is now extinct. Several tiles
were found containing the footprints of
goats. sheep. cats, and dogs. The tiles
hal been stepped on before they were
burned.
One tile contains the imprint OF wo,
mans foot-a small. dainty, well-formed
member that seemingly must have up
borne a very sweet Roman maiden. Inc
nna,nt relic might well be basis for an in
terestlng story, but antiQuarians are Sc
verely practical and do not deal IN TO-
Inanca.