The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-07-16
SEEKING CAESAR
IN ROMAN RUINS

Il
Caersws. So far, however. nothing
has been done in the northwest cor
ner of the principally, that region of
Gwynnedd which occupies so lar1;e
space In the history Of medieval
Wales. The proposed excavation OF
Segontium may enable this gap to be
J filled with accurate II not extensive
information.
The Roman fort of Segontiuva took
It's 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. IT was known to the
I, Welsh as "Caer Saint" or "Y Gaer
yn Arfon." While inferior in import
ance to the leglonary stations at lsca
and Deva. It was fortress of some
consequence. covering about five and
a half acres and serving, as l have
said, us the terminus of the military
road which ran through North Wales.
And may add that from Aberglas-
lyn and Gortmadoe, In the nelghbor-
hood of Carnarvon, Prince Mador mp
Owan Gwynedd is said In Welsh
legend to have mustered his forces
and sailed in ten ships for the colOni.
cation of North America, toward the
end OF the twelfth century.
A Belgian Garrison.
An Inscription of about 900 A. u
chronicles the fact that at that tim
the water supply of the place was pu
In order by the first cohort of Sunici
and this auxiliary force, drawn o.
partly drawn from Belgium. may hav,
furnished the regular garrison OF Sc
gontium. No attempt he's hithert
been made to examine the site sys
tematically, and, as was said by tn
! late Doctor Haverield--than whor
no greater authority on Roman Brit
ain lived-"'The spade alone can dc
+ termine the successive stages whlc
Roman Carnarvon may have exper
enced. This much is certain. Their
is no>site In North Wales, and onl
one or two others in the whole penii
e sua. which are so likely. II properl
If and systematically explored, to thro
$. light on the condition of the countf
Ii In the later Roman and earliest pos
L. Roman ages"
10 Chance finds that have already bee
rs made are of considerable historic
value, particularly a talisman
Is charm In the form of a thin plate
Of god-hearing magical characters and
OF Greek inscription calling on sund
be spirits to protect one Alphianos fro
Ia. evil. 1t Is probable that II was MAJ
We in Alexandria in the second centul
It. What had been Its wanderings befo
ly il was crushed among the ruins
r. Segontlum
The fragment of similar char
may be seen at York, and these ma
the only two of their kind to be fou
in Britain.
Another find was the famous &
crossbow brooch Of the fourth centu
which Is now preserved In the Carn
Won town library.
\ In order to secure the land for
y purpose OF excavation, number
people interested in Welsh's archie
ogy. and with one exception reside
< in the counties of Carnarvon a
Anglesey. purchased the areas NJ
= the "Waterworks" In order that Il
: might be saved from We hands OF
builders and be systematically
= plOred. Three acres are within
wall Of the fortress, and half an a
lies without 1t. In addition to til
two areas, 1t is probable that PERI
I sion will be obtained to excav
about three and half acres I'm
~ diately adjoining the main site, on
northwest and northeast, and
vicar of Carnarvon has stated that
~ will put no difficulty In the way
~ carrying out excavation IN the Vi
age garden, which Hes within the !
of SegontiHm and covers about
acre and half. The land avail
for excavation is therefore from Il
and half to eight acres In extent
which the greater part lies wi
d;s the walls Of the fortress. In viey
the importance and extent Of
IN. work, the services of an expert
Icul. cayator will be obtained, and he
,arI. work under instructions from Pro-
nine G. Rosanquet. The work will
! 10 spread over two or more years.
hey results will be keenly followed
ntal | archaeologIsts in both hemisphere
q antieinated that students and I