The Roman amphitheatre is one of the most visible reminders of Cirencester’s Roman past. But what do we know about it? This talk will examine how and when the amphitheatre was constructed, and what it was used for. But the history of the amphitheatre was not straight forward and within a century or so the structure was being used for an altogether different purpose. Why was this and what does this tell us about the Roman town, and indeed the province as whole? We will also examine the afterlife of the amphitheatre. What happened in the post-Roman and medieval periods, and how the structure came to be rediscovered in the 18th and 19th centuries. The talk will conclude with some thoughts on what we don’t know about this remarkable earthwork.
Neil gained a first class degree in archaeology from Newcastle University in 1984 before starting work in professional archaeology. He went straight from University to direct excavations on Hadrian’s Wall for English Heritage. Neil has been Chief Executive of Cotswold Archaeology for over 25 years. In addition to his managerial duties Neil maintains his interest in Roman archaeology and continues to publish widely. He is chairman and a trustee of the Roman Research Trust and a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading
Cost £8.00 per adult, £7.00 member