Editing Fishbourne Roman Palace (section)

== Destruction and aftermath ==

There is overwhelming evidence that the north wing was completely destroyed in a fire around 270&nbsp;AD. For instance, some of the rubble from the collapsed roof as well as its tiles and melted fittings were scattered on the ground floor, while some of the burnt doors remained standing.<ref name=":03"/> There is also evidence of extreme heat that can be found on the tiles, which were discoloured. The fire did not consume the east wing of the palace, although the decision was later made to demolish the baths located in that wing around 290&nbsp;AD.<ref name=":03"/>

It is unclear whether the fire was accidental or intentional; however, its destruction correlated with a period of instability. During this period, Rome's control over Britain was contested by a former Roman military commander named [[Carausius]], who revolted against the Roman hegemony and declared himself ruler of the Isle around 280&nbsp;AD. In turn, it is possible that the palace's destruction was a part of a more widespread period of disruption caused by the revolt, although this scenario is not certain.<ref name=":22"/>

All objects and furnishings within the palace were completely destroyed and the only thing that remained standing was the palace walls.<ref name=":03"/> The damage was too great to repair, and the palace was abandoned and later dismantled. Furthermore, the rising water levels and subsequent flooding in the surrounding area may have also influenced the decision not to restore the structure.<ref name=":03" /> Over the course of the following years, the local inhabitants of [[Chichester]] raided the site for its building stones, which is why the ground-stone foundations of the walls are the only part of the ancient structure remaining today.

The site of the palace was later used as a burial ground during the early Saxon period, which became clear upon the discovery of four corpses within the foundation of the ancient ruin. During the Medieval period, the palace lay below several feet of built-up soil and was forgotten about until its re-discovery in the 19th century.<ref name=":03"/>

=== Legacy ===

[[File:Fishbourne Roman Palace MMB 25.jpg|thumb|left|The museum]]

A museum was erected over the excavated palace by the [[Sussex Archaeological Society]], in order to protect and preserve some of the remains ''in situ''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The largest Roman Palace in Britain with outstanding mosaics, set in England's first garden. {{!}} The Sussex Archaeological Society |url=https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace |access-date=2021-04-11}}</ref> The museum incorporates most of the visible remains, including one wing of the palace. The gardens were re-planted using authentic plants from the [[Roman Britain|Roman period]], including roses, lilies, rosemary, various fruit trees and boxed hedges.<ref name=":03"/> A team of volunteers and professional archaeologists are involved in a continuing research [[archaeological excavation]] on the site of nearby, possible military buildings as well as a harbour area located on the southern portion of the Fishbourne site. The latest excavation season was conducted in 2002.<ref name=":03" />

The Fishbourne Roman Palace Museum was closed to the public in March 2020 as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in England|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The Sussex Archaeological Society lost an estimated £1 million in income from visitors, and in June began a fundraising appeal so that it could continue maintaining Fishbourne Roman Palace along with other properties.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Correspondent |first=Mark Bridge, History |title=Fishbourne Roman Palace faces closure after huge loss of visitor income |newspaper=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/fishbourne-roman-palace-faces-closure-after-huge-loss-of-visitor-income-6w7l8kp5h |access-date=2021-03-01 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> The Fishbourne Roman Palace has since reopened to the public.<ref>https://sussexpast.co.uk/attraction/fishbourne-roman-palace/</ref>