The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-07-16
SEEKING CAESAR
IN ROMAN RUINS

went, Gelligaer, Castell Collen and
Caersws. So far, however, nothing
has been done In the northwest cor
ner of the principality, that region of
Gwynnedd which occupies SO large a
space in the history Of medieval
Wales. The proposed excavation of
Segontium may enable this gap to be
filed with accurate if not extensive
information.
The Roman fort Of Segontium took
its name from the river (now the
Saint) on which 1t stood, and occu-
pied the higher ground behind the
present town Of Carnarvon, where In
a later age was built the church of
Llanbeblig. 1t was known to the
Welsh as "Caer Saint" or "Y Gaer
yn Arfon." While inferior In import
ance to the legionary stations at Isca
and Deva, 1t was a fortress Of some
consequence, covering about five and
a half acres and serving, as I have
said, as the terminus of the military
road which ran through North Wales.
And may add that from Aberglas-
lyn and Gortmadoe, in the neighbor-
hood of Carnarvon. Prince Mador ap
Owain Gwynedd is said in Welsh
legend to have mustered his forces
and sailed in ten ships for the coloni-
zation of North America, toward the
end of the twelfth century.
A Belgian Garrison.
An Inscription of about 200 A. d.
chronicles the fact that at that time
the water supply Of the place was put
in order by the first cohort Of Sunici,
and this auxiliary force. drawn or
partly drawn from Belgium, may have
furnished the regular garrison Of Sc
gontium. No attempt has hitherto
been made to examine the site sys-
tematically, and, as was said by the
late Doctor Haverfield-than whom
no greater authority on Roman Brit
ain lived-"The spade alone can de-
termine the successive stages which
Roman Carnarvon may have expert
enced. This much is certain. There
is no site in North Wales, and only
one or two others In the whole penin-
sula, which are so likely, II properly
and systematically explored, to throw
light on the condition of the country
in the later Roman and earliest post
Roman ages"
Chance finds that have already been
made are of considerable historical
value, particularly talisman or
charm In the form of a thin plate of
gold-bearing magical characters and a
Greek Inscription calling on sundry
spirits to protect one Alphianos from
evil. 1t is probable that 1t was made
in Alexandria In the second century
What had been its wanderings before
1t was crushed among the ruins of
Segontium!
The fragment of a similar charm
may be seen at York, and these make
the only two of their kind to be found
in Britain.
Another find was the famous gold
crossbow brooch of the fourth century,
which is now preserved In the Carnar-
Won town library.
In order to secure the land for the
purpose of excavation, a number of
people interested In Welsh's archeol-
ogy, and with one exception resident
in the counties of Carnarvon and
Anglesey, purchased the areas near
the "Waterworks" In order that they
might be saved from the hands of the
builders and be systematically ex-
plored Three acres are within the
wall of the fortress, and half an acre
lies without it. In addition to these
two areas, it is probable that permis-
sion will be obtained to excavate
about three and a half acres imme-
diately adjoining the main site, on the
northwest and northeast, and the
vicar of Carnarvon has stated that he
will put no difficulty In the way of
carrying out excavation in the vicar
age garden, which lies within the wall
of Segontium and covers about an
acre and a half. The land available
for excavation is therefore from three
and a half to eight acres in extent, of
which the greater part lies within
the walls of the fortress. In view of
the importance and extent of the
work, the services Of an expert ex-
cavator will be obtained, and he will
work under instructions from Prof. r.
C. Bosanquet. The work will be
spread over two or more years, and
results win be keenly followed by
archaeoIogists in both hemispheres. It
is anticipated that students and many