Tabard Square Roman temple complex

The Roman temple complex at Tabard Square lies about 600 metres south of the Thames in the London Borough of Southwark. It was uncovered during excavations in 2002 and 2003. Among the nine possible temple sites found in London, Tabard Square’s remains are the best documented. The gods once worshipped here remain unknown. Early development here created a suburb south of Roman Londinium with several substantial buildings. Excavations show Bronze Age traces, then sparse Roman activity after the invasion of 43. By about 80 new timber buildings appeared, soon joined by more timber structures and a street. Some walls carried painted decoration, and finds included jewellery such as a gold chain and a cut-glass vessel, pointing to a well-to-do quarter. Around 120 a larger area was enclosed by a ditch, marking a sacred precinct. One notable discovery was a sealed tin box containing cream and the owner’s fingerprints, probably an early cosmetic. By about 160 two stone temples in Gallo-Roman style stood in the north-west corner. The northern temple measured roughly ten square metres, though only half its walls survived. The southern temple left only fragmentary traces, reconstructed to match its neighbour. The site remained in use until the 4th century, when an inscription by the Gallic trader Tiberinius Celerianus was set up. Fragments of another inscription suggest imperial involvement. Wall paintings in the northern temple showed black panels divided by red bands with red candelabra. In the 4th century a large building, possibly another temple, was erected south-east of the original shrines. The complex appears to have been abandoned early in the 5th century.