EH VII: Cistern

(Michelle Hobart, 1993)

Objectives

The 1973 plan shows a small, probably Roman, cistern on the Eastern Height, north of the castle. It was decided to empty it in order to date its abandonment.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the trench, 2.40 x 2.60 m., followed those of the cistern.

Stratigraphy

The cistern is roughly square, and lined with hydraulic cement. It is not at all clear from its construction whether it was Roman or Medieval in date. Although the hydraulic cement appears Roman, the roof, a shallow gable poured over thin beams whose holes are still visible in the walls, is not paralleled elsewhere on the site. A terracotta pipe on the southern side provided the inlet for water, while an opening 80cm. square in the eastern corner provided access.

All of the fills within the cistern were medieval, and seems to date to the last occupation of the hilltop. The lowest, 5, is a context given to a number of coins found adhering to the plaster (medieval coins catalogue 10-36), which were presumably thrown in when there was still water in the cistern. Covering these, 4 was of very fine light-brown soil with much plaster dust. Above it, 3 is very similar, but contains much material from the collapse of the eastern corner: both layers are thickest in this area. However, there seems to be no real grounds for separating the two layers: both contain coins from the same group, as well as joining sherds of maiolica.

These contemporary fills, and the floor of the cistern itself, were cut by a circular hole in the middle of the cistern, presumably made by a treasure hunter in the recent past. Contexts 1 and 2 represent the spoil from this activity, but there does not seem to have been much contamination of the material.