The Temple of Mithras, London: Excavations by W. F. Grimes and A. Williams at the Walbrook

1999 English Heritage large format paperback edition. Some reading wear else good condition. From the cover: Professor W F Grimes excavated the site between 1952 and 1954 on behalf of the Roman and Mediaeval London Excavation Council in advance of post-war development in the City of London. The aim was to obtain information about the Walbrook valley, and the discovery of a well preserved Roman building was unexpected. This report provides a full record of the stratigraphic and structural evidence from the site, a catalogue of the finds, and a discussion of the evidence from the Walbrook valley at the Bucklesbury House site, including the temple. Contents: 1 RMLEC Bucklersbury House excavations 1952-4 redevelopment site aims of the excavation cutting locations. Cutting A Cutting B The Cutting C complex Cutting D Cutting F Cuttings D, E and G excavation and recording techniques preparation of this report 2 'There's a fascination frantic in a ruin that's romantic': the Mithras affair, September and October 1954 Prologue Government intervenes Mithras fever sweeps the nation Meanwhile, in Whitehall Letters to the Editor - and the Prime Minister final decision 3 Period 1: The archaeology of the Walbrook valley up to c AD 240-50 The pre-temple groups The west bank up to c AD 240-50 Cuttings AA and AB Cuttings BA and BB Cutting F The east bank up to c AD 240-50 The Cutting C complex (CA, CB and CD) 4 Period 2: The archaeology of the temple and the Walbrook valley from c AD 240-50 temple groups and phases west bank from c AD 240-50 Cuttings AA and AB Cutting BB Cutting F temple on the east bank from c AD 240-50 Cuttings CA, CB, CD and CE Modern disturbance of the temple pre-temple topography: the surface of Group VII deposits in Cuttings CA, CB and CD construction of the temple Phase I temple: the design of the temple in its original form Walbrook Temple of Mithras: Phase I (Group VIII) internal sequence of the Phase I temple: nave floors 1-9 Phase I temple: internal details Phase II temple Phase IIa temple Phase IIb temple Phase III temple Phase IV temple narthex end of the temple 5 The finds evidence Introduction Object identification numbers The coins by J Hall and R Merrifield Period 1 coins: Groups IV, VII and XII pre-dating the temple, coins 1-4 Period 2 coins: Groups VIII, IX and X from the temple, coins 5-27 Period 2 coins: Groups XIV and XV contemporary with the temple on the west bank of the Walbrook, coins 28-31 Coin catalogue The pottery: general discussion by J Groves Previous work Subsequent work The final report The illustrations General summary and discussion Pottery codes and expansions The samian by J Bird General summary and discussion Acknowledgments Samian codes The sculptures: general note by J Hall The stable isotope analysis of the marble sculptures by K Matthews and S Bowman Comments on the isotopic analysis of the sculptures by S Walker The small objects by A Wardle General summary and discussion The finds catalogue Period 1 finds Period 2 finds 6 The environmental evidence The animal bones by S Macready and J Sidell Introduction Bones related to temple use The animals The birds Report on soil sample associated with waterlogged piles and stakes by I W Cornwall Examination of peat samples by Elizabeth M Knox 7 Conclusions: the Walbrook and the temple in context The natural Walbrook valley Occupation in the valley at Bucklersbury House The siting and construction of the temple Roman Mithraism Mithraea and Mithraic liturgy The temple as a mithraeum The end of Mithraism at Walbrook 4th Century Last years 1: The temple as a bacchium or sacarium in the fourth century by Martin Henig 2: A Mithraic interpretation for the silver casket and strainer by Ralph Merrifield 3: New reconstructions of the third-century Mithraeum and the fourth-century bacchium or sacarium by Trevor Brigham 4: Context locations and descriptions 5: Animal bone data Index by Susan Vaughan.…