📜 Portslade's Later History: Roman and Saxon Life
While the gravel pits of Vale Road hold secrets from the Ice Age, the wider Portslade area reveals a rich history of occupation and burial during the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods, confirming the location's enduring significance over thousands of years.
These discoveries are key to understanding the transition from prehistoric life to the establishment of the historic village of Portslade.
🛡️ The Roman Presence: A Local Cemetery
Evidence of the Roman era (43 AD to 410 AD) in Portslade is primarily found in the remnants of a local burial ground:
* Location: South of the Old Shoreham Road, specifically near the modern-day Victoria Park.
* The Finds: Excavations uncovered numerous Roman Cinerary Urns. These vessels were used to inter the ashes of the deceased following the Roman practice of cremation.
* Significance: The cluster of urns indicates the presence of a Roman-era cemetery or burial plot used by the local population. Finds of Roman coins and pottery in the wider area (dating roughly from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD) further suggest that Roman settlements, possibly farmsteads, existed nearby to support this community.
⚔️ The Saxon Settlement: Christian Graves
Following the end of Roman rule, Portslade continued to be inhabited, leaving behind important clues about the succeeding Anglo-Saxon period (c. 410 AD to 1066 AD):
* Location: A significant burial site was found near the junction of St Andrews Road and Church Road.
* The Finds: Archaeologists uncovered a number of Saxon graves, including skeletons and associated artefacts. Historic records detail the excavation of several skeletons in this area at the end of the 19th century.
* Significance:
* Christian Burial: The orientation of some of the graves, notably being aligned east-west, strongly suggests these were Christian burials. This characteristic places the cemetery in the later Anglo-Saxon period, demonstrating the local adoption of Christianity before the Norman Conquest.
* Community: The presence of a dedicated burial ground confirms the existence of a settled Anglo-Saxon community in the area, providing a direct link between the people of post-Roman Britain and the historical origins of the village of Portslade.
Together, these archaeological sites—from Roman urns to Saxon graves—chart Portslade's continuous role as a centre for life and death through the first millennium AD.
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