Tony Collins

Tony Collins was born in London and studied archaeology at Cambridge. He excavated numerous archaeological sites in North West Essex and South Cambridgeshire, but was particularly inspired by the once-important Roman town at Great Chesterford where this, his first novel, is set.

He recently retired and moved to Normandy France, where he is currently working on a second novel - this time with a local twist.

The discovery of the Roman Eastgate at Great Chesterford.

In 1980 the author directed an archaeological excavation in the area of the important Roman town at Great Chesterford. The dig, on the site of an ancient orchard, was in advance of housing development. Because of its position close to the Roman town, expectations for archaeological evidence were high, despite a lack of earlier indications

for any remains here.

An important discovery was made within the first few days when a Roman road was found. As it headed directly towards the position of the robbed Roman town walls, the possibility of an unknown gate was certainly on the cards.

What was not expected was any survival of the Roman Wall as the entire circuit, it was believed, had been robbed for building materials in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Totally unexpectedly a seventy metre stretch of the original town wall was unearthed.

In some parts it was no more than substantial chalk foundations, but in the centre of the site, several courses of stone walling were found. It was also here that the Roman road entered the town through an eleven metre wide gateway now known as the Eastgate. The excavation also uncovered several houses along the road. These were of simple two or three cell construction, timber-framed and each with a backyard with well, latrine and in one case, a bread oven. Whilst these first and second century houses appeared to be located outside the town, we can be certain they were once inside the earlier town limits, a century before the later fourth century walls were constructed.

Close to this gateway were found fragments of female skeleton and tiny bones which may have come from a baby, unborn or newly born. But why was she buried there? What had been her fate? Excavation alone could never answer these questions.

Indeed, while the imagination might paint a vivid picture, the real story had been buried with her almost two millennia earlier, but the discovery was the inspiration for my novel - The Lost Crystal. see our website at www.the-lost-crystal.com. (via Google)