A map created using geophysical ground-penetrating scanners of the mighty Old Sarum Iron Age hill fort near the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire has revealed a series of houses and a courtyard believed to be the remains of a royal palace.
The map was created using geophysical ground-penetrating scanners on the site.
The geophysical survey of the hill fort, which dates back to 400 BC, was carried out by archaeologists from the University of Southampton using a range of state-of-the-art scanning techniques.
They concentrated their survey around the inner and outer baileys of what was once a fortification, situated around two miles (3.2km) from modern-day Salisbury.
Old Sarum was an Iron Age fort established around 400 BC and which measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide.
It was occupied by the Romans after the conquest of Britain in 43 AD when it was known as Sorviodunum.
A castle was built on the site after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications.
The inner castle and royal palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was chosen as the site for a new cathedral, built in 1092.
The city on the hill fort was inhabited for more than 300 years, but declined in the 13th century with the rise of New Sarum, now known as Salisbury.
Royal palace discovered near Salisbury: Evidence of a medieval city revealed using state-of-the-art underground scanners
By Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline
3 December 2014
For more than 700 years, Old Sarum has hidden a secret buried in its foundations.
A detailed underground plan of the 11th century medieval city has revealed a series of houses and a courtyard believed to be the remains of a royal palace.
The map was created using geophysical ground-penetrating scanners on the site of the Iron Age fort near Salisbury.
The findings, which concentrated on the medieval period, revealed a series of large structures along the southern edge of the outer bailey defensive wall (pictured). The vast complex - thought to be a royal palace - measures 557ft (170 metres) long and 213ft (65 metres) wide and is arranged around a large courtyard
The geophysical survey was carried out by archaeologists from the University of Southampton using a range of state-of-the-art scanning techniques.
They concentrated their survey around the inner and outer baileys of what was once a fortification, situated around two miles (3.2km) from modern-day Salisbury.
Old Sarum was an Iron Age fort established around 400 BC and which measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide.
It was occupied by the Romans after the conquest of Britain in 43AD when it was known as Sorviodunum.
A castle was built on the site after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications.
The geophysical survey was carried out by archaeologists from the University of Southampton using a range of state-of-the-art scanning techniques.They concentrated their survey around the inner and outer baileys of what was once a fortification (marked) situated around two miles (3.2km) from modern-day Salisbury
The inner castle and royal palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was chosen as the site for a new cathedral, built in 1092.
The city was inhabited for more than 300 years, but declined in the 13th century with the rise of New Sarum, now known as Salisbury.
The findings, which concentrated on the medieval period, revealed a series of large structures along the southern edge of the outer bailey defensive wall, suggesting these buildings may have been built to defend the fort.
The vast complex measures 557ft (170 metre) long and 213ft (65 metre) wide and is arranged around a large courtyard.
Experts believe the walls would have been up to 9ft (3 metres) thick, and featured a 196ft (60 metre long) hall.
There is also evidence of towers and multi-storey buildings.
The mapping also revealed an open area of ground behind these large structures, thought to have been used to deliver resources to residents, or built as part of a circular route through the city.
Residential areas were then found in the south east and south west quadrants of the outer bailey alongside the inner bailey ditch, alongside evidence of deposits indicating industrial features, such as kilns or furnaces as well as signs of quarrying after the 1300s.
These vast complexes, and the presence of a large courtyard, suggest the whole site may have been used as a palace.
Old Sarum is an English Heritage property. The team hopes to return to complete the survey of the inner and outer baileys and the settlement to the south of Old Sarum in 2015. The city on the Iron Age hillfort was inhabited for more than 300 years, but declined in the 13th century with the rise of New Sarum, or modern-day Salisbury (pictured)
A castle was built on the site (pictured) after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications. The inner castle and palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while a cathedral was built on the north-western section in 1092
Kristian Strutt, director of archaeological prospection services at the University of Southampton, said: 'Archaeologists and historians have known for centuries that there was a medieval city at Old Sarum, but until now there has been no proper plan of the site.
'Our survey shows where individual buildings are located and from this we can piece together a detailed picture of the urban plan within the city walls.'
The team used a variety of techniques to examine the outer and inner bailey of the site.
These included the use of topographic survey methods and geophysical survey techniques, including magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey.
The research was conducted as part of the Old Sarum and Stratford-Sub-Castle Archaeological Survey Project, directed by Kristian Strutt and fellow Southampton archaeologists Timothy Sly and Dominic Barker.
Old Sarum is currently an English Heritage property and is open to the public.
Heather Sebire, property curator at English Heritage, said: 'Having the team of archaeologists on site over the summer gave our visitors a chance to find out more about how important historic landscapes are surveyed.
'The use of modern, non-invasive surveying is a great start to further research at Old Sarum.
'From this work we can surmise much about the site's past and, whilst we can't conclusively date the findings, it adds a new layer to Old Sarum's story. We welcome the chance to find out more about our sites, and look forward to exploring ideas for further research in the future.'
Mr Strutt added: 'Our research so far has shown how the entire outer bailey of the monument was heavily built up in the Middle Ages, representing a substantial urban centre.
'Results have given us compelling evidence as to the nature of some of the structures. It is clear, however, that there is more non-intrusive work that could be carried out to further expand our understanding of the site.'
The team hopes to return to complete the survey of the inner and outer baileys and survey the Romano-British settlement to the south of Old Sarum in Easter 2015.
WHAT IS BURIED BENEATH OLD SARUM?
Experts used a variety of techniques to examine the outer and inner bailey of the site (pictured). These included topographic survey methods and geophysical survey techniques, including magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey.
The team used a variety of techniques to examine the outer and inner bailey of the site.
These included the use of topographic survey methods and geophysical survey techniques, including magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey.
The findings, which concentrated on the medieval period, revealed a series of large structures along the southern edge of the outer bailey defensive wall, suggesting these buildings may have been built to defend the fort.
The vast complex measures 557ft (170 metres) long and 213ft (65 metres) wide and is arranged around a large courtyard.
Experts believe the walls would have been up to 9ft (3 metres) thick, and featured a 196ft (60 metre long) hall.
There is also evidence of towers and multi-storey buildings.
The mapping additionally revealed an open area of ground behind these large structures, thought to have been used to deliver resources to their residents, or built as part of a circular route through the city.
Residential areas were found in the south east and south west quadrants of the outer bailey alongside the inner bailey ditch, alongside evidence of deposits indicating industrial features, such as kilns or furnaces as well as signs of quarrying after the 1300s.
These vast complexes, and the presence of a large courtyard suggests the whole site may have been used as a palace.
THE HISTORY OF OLD SARUM
Old Sarum was an Iron Age fort established around 400 BC and which measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide.
It was occupied by the Romans after the conquest of Britain in 43AD and was known as Sorviodunum.
A castle was built on the site after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications.
The inner castle and royal palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was chosen as the site for a new cathedral, built in 1092.
All early buildings in the castle would have been made of timber, and the oldest surviving stone structure, the keep, is said to have been built early in the reign of Henry I in the 12th century.
The royal palace within the castle was subsequently used by Plantagenet monarchs.
Eventually, a new cathedral was established during the 1220s in what is now modern-day Salisbury.
This caused the clergy to abandon Old Sarum and marked the start of a gradual decline of the region in favour of New Sarum, now known as modern-day Salisbury.
The castle continued in use, and money was spent on its repair and maintenance during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century.
By the 19th century, the settlement was officially uninhabited but still had formal parliamentary representation.
Old Sarum is currently an English Heritage property and is open to the public.
Source: English Heritage
Read more: Royal palace discovered near Salisbury using underground scanners | Daily Mail Online
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The map was created using geophysical ground-penetrating scanners on the site.
The geophysical survey of the hill fort, which dates back to 400 BC, was carried out by archaeologists from the University of Southampton using a range of state-of-the-art scanning techniques.
They concentrated their survey around the inner and outer baileys of what was once a fortification, situated around two miles (3.2km) from modern-day Salisbury.
Old Sarum was an Iron Age fort established around 400 BC and which measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide.
It was occupied by the Romans after the conquest of Britain in 43 AD when it was known as Sorviodunum.
A castle was built on the site after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications.
The inner castle and royal palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was chosen as the site for a new cathedral, built in 1092.
The city on the hill fort was inhabited for more than 300 years, but declined in the 13th century with the rise of New Sarum, now known as Salisbury.
Royal palace discovered near Salisbury: Evidence of a medieval city revealed using state-of-the-art underground scanners
Old Sarum was an Iron Age hill fort near Salisbury established around 400 BC
It measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide
Fort was gradually abandoned in favour of Salisbury in the 13th century
The survey is being carried out by the University of Southampton
They used ground-penetrating scanners to map underground medieval city
Mapping has revealed a series of houses, industrial buildings and courtyard within what is thought to be a vast palace
It measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide
Fort was gradually abandoned in favour of Salisbury in the 13th century
The survey is being carried out by the University of Southampton
They used ground-penetrating scanners to map underground medieval city
Mapping has revealed a series of houses, industrial buildings and courtyard within what is thought to be a vast palace
By Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline
3 December 2014
For more than 700 years, Old Sarum has hidden a secret buried in its foundations.
A detailed underground plan of the 11th century medieval city has revealed a series of houses and a courtyard believed to be the remains of a royal palace.
The map was created using geophysical ground-penetrating scanners on the site of the Iron Age fort near Salisbury.
The findings, which concentrated on the medieval period, revealed a series of large structures along the southern edge of the outer bailey defensive wall (pictured). The vast complex - thought to be a royal palace - measures 557ft (170 metres) long and 213ft (65 metres) wide and is arranged around a large courtyard
The geophysical survey was carried out by archaeologists from the University of Southampton using a range of state-of-the-art scanning techniques.
They concentrated their survey around the inner and outer baileys of what was once a fortification, situated around two miles (3.2km) from modern-day Salisbury.
Old Sarum was an Iron Age fort established around 400 BC and which measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide.
It was occupied by the Romans after the conquest of Britain in 43AD when it was known as Sorviodunum.
A castle was built on the site after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications.
The geophysical survey was carried out by archaeologists from the University of Southampton using a range of state-of-the-art scanning techniques.They concentrated their survey around the inner and outer baileys of what was once a fortification (marked) situated around two miles (3.2km) from modern-day Salisbury
The inner castle and royal palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was chosen as the site for a new cathedral, built in 1092.
The city was inhabited for more than 300 years, but declined in the 13th century with the rise of New Sarum, now known as Salisbury.
The findings, which concentrated on the medieval period, revealed a series of large structures along the southern edge of the outer bailey defensive wall, suggesting these buildings may have been built to defend the fort.
The vast complex measures 557ft (170 metre) long and 213ft (65 metre) wide and is arranged around a large courtyard.
Experts believe the walls would have been up to 9ft (3 metres) thick, and featured a 196ft (60 metre long) hall.
There is also evidence of towers and multi-storey buildings.
The mapping also revealed an open area of ground behind these large structures, thought to have been used to deliver resources to residents, or built as part of a circular route through the city.
Residential areas were then found in the south east and south west quadrants of the outer bailey alongside the inner bailey ditch, alongside evidence of deposits indicating industrial features, such as kilns or furnaces as well as signs of quarrying after the 1300s.
These vast complexes, and the presence of a large courtyard, suggest the whole site may have been used as a palace.
Old Sarum is an English Heritage property. The team hopes to return to complete the survey of the inner and outer baileys and the settlement to the south of Old Sarum in 2015. The city on the Iron Age hillfort was inhabited for more than 300 years, but declined in the 13th century with the rise of New Sarum, or modern-day Salisbury (pictured)
A castle was built on the site (pictured) after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications. The inner castle and palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while a cathedral was built on the north-western section in 1092
Kristian Strutt, director of archaeological prospection services at the University of Southampton, said: 'Archaeologists and historians have known for centuries that there was a medieval city at Old Sarum, but until now there has been no proper plan of the site.
'Our survey shows where individual buildings are located and from this we can piece together a detailed picture of the urban plan within the city walls.'
The team used a variety of techniques to examine the outer and inner bailey of the site.
These included the use of topographic survey methods and geophysical survey techniques, including magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey.
The research was conducted as part of the Old Sarum and Stratford-Sub-Castle Archaeological Survey Project, directed by Kristian Strutt and fellow Southampton archaeologists Timothy Sly and Dominic Barker.
Old Sarum is currently an English Heritage property and is open to the public.
Heather Sebire, property curator at English Heritage, said: 'Having the team of archaeologists on site over the summer gave our visitors a chance to find out more about how important historic landscapes are surveyed.
'The use of modern, non-invasive surveying is a great start to further research at Old Sarum.
'From this work we can surmise much about the site's past and, whilst we can't conclusively date the findings, it adds a new layer to Old Sarum's story. We welcome the chance to find out more about our sites, and look forward to exploring ideas for further research in the future.'
Mr Strutt added: 'Our research so far has shown how the entire outer bailey of the monument was heavily built up in the Middle Ages, representing a substantial urban centre.
'Results have given us compelling evidence as to the nature of some of the structures. It is clear, however, that there is more non-intrusive work that could be carried out to further expand our understanding of the site.'
The team hopes to return to complete the survey of the inner and outer baileys and survey the Romano-British settlement to the south of Old Sarum in Easter 2015.
WHAT IS BURIED BENEATH OLD SARUM?
Experts used a variety of techniques to examine the outer and inner bailey of the site (pictured). These included topographic survey methods and geophysical survey techniques, including magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey.
The team used a variety of techniques to examine the outer and inner bailey of the site.
These included the use of topographic survey methods and geophysical survey techniques, including magnetometry, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey.
The findings, which concentrated on the medieval period, revealed a series of large structures along the southern edge of the outer bailey defensive wall, suggesting these buildings may have been built to defend the fort.
The vast complex measures 557ft (170 metres) long and 213ft (65 metres) wide and is arranged around a large courtyard.
Experts believe the walls would have been up to 9ft (3 metres) thick, and featured a 196ft (60 metre long) hall.
There is also evidence of towers and multi-storey buildings.
The mapping additionally revealed an open area of ground behind these large structures, thought to have been used to deliver resources to their residents, or built as part of a circular route through the city.
Residential areas were found in the south east and south west quadrants of the outer bailey alongside the inner bailey ditch, alongside evidence of deposits indicating industrial features, such as kilns or furnaces as well as signs of quarrying after the 1300s.
These vast complexes, and the presence of a large courtyard suggests the whole site may have been used as a palace.
THE HISTORY OF OLD SARUM
Old Sarum was an Iron Age fort established around 400 BC and which measures 1,300ft (400 metres) long and 1,180ft (360 metres) wide.
It was occupied by the Romans after the conquest of Britain in 43AD and was known as Sorviodunum.
A castle was built on the site after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror created a motte in the centre of the hillfort, adding an inner set of fortifications.
The inner castle and royal palace consisted of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was chosen as the site for a new cathedral, built in 1092.
All early buildings in the castle would have been made of timber, and the oldest surviving stone structure, the keep, is said to have been built early in the reign of Henry I in the 12th century.
The royal palace within the castle was subsequently used by Plantagenet monarchs.
Eventually, a new cathedral was established during the 1220s in what is now modern-day Salisbury.
This caused the clergy to abandon Old Sarum and marked the start of a gradual decline of the region in favour of New Sarum, now known as modern-day Salisbury.
The castle continued in use, and money was spent on its repair and maintenance during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century.
By the 19th century, the settlement was officially uninhabited but still had formal parliamentary representation.
Old Sarum is currently an English Heritage property and is open to the public.
Source: English Heritage
Read more: Royal palace discovered near Salisbury using underground scanners | Daily Mail Online
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