Fishbourne Context

English Heritage summaries. 2004/05

The discovery of Fishbourne Roman Palace (Chichester, West Sussex) in the 1960s recovered the plan, and much detail, of one of the most remarkable buildings in Roman Britain. The extent of the excavations could only reveal glimpses of earlier phases of development in the Roman period beneath the Palace, and subsequent excavations, up until 2002, have added additional detail, particularly the 2002 season which demonstrated a long-suspected, and heavily romanised, Late Iron Age phase to the site. The 1960s excavations could only address in a very limited way other specific issues and crucial environmental factors affecting the location of the Palace. Such issues and factors include the height of sea-level in the Roman period, the location of any harbour or quayside, and how the Palace was accessed from the water; the form of the southern gardens and associated deep-water channel south of the Palace and the extent of the presumed estate that was associated with the Palace. Other complementary datasets produced by the excavations of the 60s and 90s include evidence of the rich variety of local and imported flora, and food resources, including maritime produce, consumed by residents and workers in Roman Fishbourne, and a mixture of exotic and local products and resources represented by finds from the site.

The purpose of the Fishbourne Research and Conservation Framework (FRCF) is to establish the broad research and conservation framework for the Fishbourne area, and the hinterland of the Palace. The document will seek to set out some of the key research themes for the area, and suggest critical conservation management aims and strategies. The overall aim will be to facilitate a co-ordinated programme of research into the archaeology of the area, whilst achieving optimal conservation of the archaeological resource. Crucial to the success of the document will be the consultative way in which the contents are finalised, and here the authors wish to involve as many professional and lay people as possible, alongside the obvious institutional partners. The drafting of the FRCF will be peer-reviewed by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from the Universities of Oxford, Sussex, Southampton and Reading, and individuals involved in previous research at Fishbourne.

This page was published on 14/06/2005