Editing Calleva Atrebatum (section)

== Culture ==
=== Agriculture ===
The study of waterlogged macrofossils through a series of wells throughout the abandoned civilisation resulted in key evidence of animal stabling, hay meadows management, and the use of [[heath]] resources (such as heathers, gorse, and heathland grasses). The most abundant crops that were found in the area are ''Capsella bursa pastoris'', ''Chenopodium album'', ''Polygonum aviculare'', ''Stellaria media'' and ''Urtica urens'', ''Fallopia convolvulus'' and ''Sisymbrium''. The use of new oil crops and grassland management is evident that the agricultural upheaval changes were related to those that provide food to livestock rather than providing food to the population of the civilisation. The development of the land represents a major change in the social organisation and settlement form. This is evident in the ample earthwork or large artificial banks of soil. Between the [[Hampshire]] chalk downs and alluvium-rich flood plains of the Thames valley, the civilisation is on a gravel terrace of the [[River Kennet]], a major tributary of the Thames. This has left beneath its thin much later organic topsoil, feet of tertiary clay and sand.  If ploughed the result is a "well-drained brown-earth soil" which, unirrigated, and without high fertilisation, yields low cereal returns. It is traditionally often cleared as pasture, orchards or kept as bramble-rich woodland for hogs and game. Palaeoenvironmental studies of the Early Iron Age at this site expose largely cleared land. Development of the heath from this time is evidenced by pollen analysis.<ref name="Agricultural innovations at a Late Iron Age oppidum">{{cite journal |last1=Lodwick |first1=Lisa A |title=Agricultural innovations at a Late Iron Age oppidum: Archaeobotanical evidence for flax, food and fodder from Calleva Atrebatum, UK |journal=Quaternary International |year=2017 |volume=460 |pages=198–219 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2016.02.058 |bibcode=2017QuInt.460..198L |s2cid=62815053 |ref=1|doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Diet ===
The study of plant remains from the across the city and especially Insula IX have shown that [[spelt]], wheat and barley were the most common cereals consumed. A wide range of fruits (apple, fig, grape), flavourings (celery, coriander, dill), and pulses (celtic bean, pea) were consumed.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lodwick|first=Lisa A.|date=2016-01-07|title='The debatable territory where geology and archaeology meet': reassessing the early archaeobotanical work of Clement Reid and Arthur Lyell at Roman Silchester|journal=Environmental Archaeology|volume=22|issue=1|pages=56–78|doi=10.1080/14614103.2015.1116218|s2cid=162420770|issn=1461-4103|url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/54531/1/Lodwick_2016.pdf}}</ref><ref name="Agricultural innovations at a Late Iron Age oppidum"/> Many houses had their own rotary [[Quern-stone|querns]] for grinding flour.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=[[Ruth Shaffrey|Shaffrey]]|first=Ruth|date=2003|title=The Rotary Querns from the Society of Antiquaries' Excavations at Silchester, 1890-1909|journal=Britannia|volume=34|pages=143–174|doi=10.2307/3558543|issn=0068-113X|jstor=3558543|s2cid=163126925}}</ref> Cattle, sheep/goat and pig were the major sources of meat.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Silchester and the Study of Romano-British Urbanism|last=Ingrem|first=Claire|publisher=Journal of Roman Archaeology|year=2012|editor-last=Fulford|editor-first=Michael|location=London|pages=184–212|chapter=Animals in the economy and culture of Roman Britain: a case study from southern England}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
There is a range of evidence for religious practices in the town. A possible church was to the south-east of the Forum in Insula IV. The apse-ended basilica building has a layout comparable to early churches in the western Roman empire, but the date is likely to be pre-Constantinian.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=King|first=Anthony|date=1983|title=The Roman Church at Silchester Reconsidered|journal=Oxford Journal of Archaeology|language=en|volume=2|issue=2|pages=225–237|doi=10.1111/j.1468-0092.1983.tb00108.x|issn=1468-0092}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Petts|first=David|url=http://oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199697731.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199697731-e-036|title=Christianity in Roman Britain|date=2015-10-05|publisher=Oxford University Press|editor-last=Millett|editor-first=Martin|volume=1|language=en|doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199697731.013.036|isbn=978-0-19-969773-1|editor2-last=Revell|editor2-first=Louise|editor3-last=Moore|editor3-first=Alison}}</ref> A Romano-Celtic temple was in Insula XXXV, where an inscription shows a dedication by the guild of ''peregrini''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/69|title=RIB 69. Fragmentary dedication {{!}} Roman Inscriptions of Britain|website=romaninscriptionsofbritain.org|language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> Three Romano-Celtic temples were in Insula XXX, just inside the east gate. These temples were constructed in the mid first century AD and went out of use after c. AD 200.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fulford|first=Michael|url=https://research.reading.ac.uk/silchester/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/PDFs/2017-Silchester-Temple-report-small.pdf|title=Silchester Insula XXX Temple Excavation 2017|publisher=University of Reading|location=Reading}}</ref> A limestone head of [[Serapis]] was discovered in 1899 at Silchester Common.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://collections.readingmuseum.org.uk/index.asp?page=record&mwsquery=%7Btotopic%7D=%7BSilchester%20Collection%7D&filename=REDMG&hitsStart=5|title=Reading Museum|website=collections.readingmuseum.org.uk|access-date=2020-01-10}}</ref>

=== Death and burial ===
Late Iron Age cremation burials have been excavated at Latchmere Green<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fulford|first1=Michael|last2=Creighton|first2=John|date=1998|title=A Late Iron Age Mirror Burial from Latchmere Green, near Silchester, Hampshire|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-prehistoric-society/article/late-iron-age-mirror-burial-from-latchmere-green-near-silchester-hampshire/683AA97F94F7C28FB4C504490C70C156|journal=Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society|language=en|volume=64|pages=331–342|doi=10.1017/S0079497X00002267|s2cid=193125149 |issn=2050-2729}}</ref> and Windabout Copse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://research.reading.ac.uk/silchester/projects/silchester-environs-project/|title=Silchester Environs Project|website=Silchester Archaeology|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> The Roman cemeteries are thought to have been to the north and west of the Outer Earthwork, and have not been investigated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reading.ac.uk/Guide/sil-guide-cemeteries.aspx|title=Cemeteries and Suburbs}}</ref> A tombstone recovered in 1577 reads "To the memory of Flavia Victorina Titus Tammonius, Her husband set this up".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/87|title=RIB 87. Funerary inscription for Flavia Victorina {{!}} Roman Inscriptions of Britain|website=romaninscriptionsofbritain.org|language=en|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref>
=== Defence ===
Built in two phases, the defence system of Calleva Atrebatum is evident in the remains of the North Gate. Construction of the wall surrounding the area first began around 200 AD. Parts of this rampart still remain in stone and tile remnants. In 270 AD, the defences were strengthened with an even larger stone wall. Defences were most probably strengthened due to the increasing number of Saxon raids in the area. The defence systems worked to protect from local uprisings, pillaging, and invaders from abroad. They also allowed for traffic to be monitored both in and out of the city.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Ben |title=Silchester Roman Town (Calleva Atrebatum) |url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Calleva-Atrebatum-Silchester-Roman-Town/ |website=Historic UK |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref>