The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-19
EARLIEST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Found in the Ruins of a Long Buried Ro-
man City Near London.

man City Near London.
| Within the last year the remains Of
the earliest Christian church yet dis
| covered in Britain were found in cor.
ner of long buried Roman city that is
now being brought to light near Read
| ing, some thirty-ive miles from Lon
| don. A Roman council chamber, eX'
tensive public baths, the remains OF d
! triumphal arch, workshops, and many
other highly interesting relies OF the
Roman occupation, and also of still
earlier times in Britain's history, were
| lately found there, but the remains OF
this Christian church are by far the
most important land interesting to En-.
gland and to the world.
Antiquarians have long believed that
city Of considera bic size once stood
| there on the English acres where
| cornfields have been since the mem,
DRY Of man. The story was told, and
| the city almost rebuilt, year after
year by the ripening grain as it fol
| lowed the line of intrenchment The
| story OF the wheat has been verified for
many acres and seach along the lines
OF the early ripening 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 is a modern American city.
Desultory digging was done for some
years, but only in the past year or SO
have excavations been made in a
thorough and scientific manner by the
Society of Antiquaries. The city is be-
lieved to be the old Roman city of Cal
leva, and dates back almost to the be-
ginning of the Christian era. The Ro-
| mans found an encampment and rude
city when they came there, and inter
esting relics of the preRoman occu-
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. TWEEN
| ty feet high and nine feet thick. sur
rounding the wall on the outer side
with a deep moat.
The remains of the Christian church
were found in the southeast corner OF
| the city. 1t is the earliest Christian
| church found in Britain. The present
superstition is that it was built a bout
$40 A. D., when Calleva was quite an
old city. 1t was very small building.
suggestive Of the small beginnings OF
the faith. Its extreme length was for
ty-two feet. 1t had a semicircular end
ing, and was divided into small nave
and two aiSles, with q very large porch
la Il. l. =.
and west. but contrary to modern Gus
tom the altar was at the western end.
The position of the altar is marked by
large square of mosaic. the colors of
which are black, white, red and green
ish gray, and are quite fresh. The
composition of the mosaic is the ordi-
! nary red brick, Purbeck marble. har-
! dened chalk and limestone The floor
| OF the church was laid with tessera
an inch square. A little tiled plat
form was found just east of the
| church, believed to have been recep-
! tacle for water for the use of those en-
! tering the church. A well of ordinary
construction, lined with oak, was found
west of the end of the church. The oak
| Is IN state OF preservation.
! A Roman council chambe with a
| hall two hundred and seventy feet
long by tiftyeight feet wide. is one of
! the interesting fluids. 1t is divided in
| to three parts, the northern and south
! ern 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 one hundred
/ and forty feet square. Offices and shops
and stores have been discovered all
/ over the city. and from them have been
| gathered the most complete and inter
esting collection of Roman relics vet
| secured Weights and measures have
/ been found. lamps and candlesticks. all
+ manner of pottery and art works. gems
/ and jewelrv. bangles and brooches. and
/ rings. knives, needles, spoons, and. in
fact, practically every article in use in
/ a big city at that age.
The most interesting part OF the col
/ lection is case full of silver and cop
per coins. Most Of them are in a state
/ OF fine preservation, and they date from
( the beginning OF the Roman empire in
Britain until its end. One is dated 4.
+ d. "a. and the coins range from this
+ period down to the time of Arcadius
and Honorius. when the Romans with
+ drew from Britaip.s
Many remains OF animals were found.
among them skulls Of the domestic
British OK, which Is now extinct. Sev-
ersl tiles were found containing the
footprints OF goats. sheep. cats and
dogs The tiles had been stepped on
before they were burned. One tile con-
tains the imprint of vonan's foot, a
small. dainty, well-formed mem Der that
. seemingly must have upborne I very
sweet Roman maiden. The quaint relic
might well lie a basis for an interesting
story. but antiquarians are severely
{ practical and do not deal in roman