Trimontium

James Curle and Reginald Allender Smith of the British Museum exchanged letters in a formal Victorian style (Mr Smith and Mr Curle over the years) until perhaps they knew each well enough, after ten years or so!) to feel able to use Dear Smith and Dear Curle.

In May 1907, Curle writes ‘Dear Mr Smith, You are very honest and I am much obliged for the trouble you have taken in returning this Newstead fragment. I wonder if much of real value has been carried to the South?

[Smith had just sent up to Curle a piece of Newstead pottery with the early distinctive Roman pattern work on it which he (Smith) had been given by somebody attending a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Smith thought it as well to return it to the rightful source ‘as it would be useless down here’. Newstead ‘fragments’ apparently occur in a number of private collections around this time eg in Perth and Stranraer, and Curle seems to have been aware that other fragments were leaving the site without his involvement.]

Oldland [a clerk in the BM, who features regularly in the Letters] sent me a photo of that Lincoln pot, which must be 1st century; it impresses me with the feeling that it is meant to represent a leaf pattern. Can this be the beginning of Castor ware, which in England at least, is, I believe 2nd century? [This is one of Curle’s hobby horses, and features regularly in the correspondence.]

Newstead is going on capitally. We have for a long time suspected four periods of occupation but could not get satisfactory proof till last week we stumbled on a wall with the foundations of gate towers run right across the fort, cutting its size down by one-third to about ten acres.

This must have been done at the beginning of the third occupation and explains various changes which puzzled us. [This Reducing Wall was erected in order to reduce the size of the fort in the Antonine period, as Curle reported in 1911, and produce an industrial area].

I got a very good specimen of a knee fibula (brooch) the other day in very good presentation. Does this suggest anything to you? It is the upper part of a fibula, very much corroded – bronze – the pin evidently worked on a hinge. I want to identify it as I found it in a drain belonging to the fourth occupation. Believe me, Yours sincerely, James Curle’.

[Over 100 years later Fraser Hunter identifies it in the National Museum Collection as ‘a plain headstud brooch fragment with crest on the bow’].