SIL'CHESTER. A village in Northern Hampshire, England, about half-way between Reading and Basingstoke. Near the modern vil lage is the site of the old Roman town CaHera Atrebatum. The site is inclosed by the remains of the old wall and broad ditch, hut no other ruins of the city are visible above ground, and the place has long been under cultivation. Sonic slight explorations had been made pre viously, but the first systematic excavations were attempted in 1S64 by Joyce, who renewed his efforts from time to time. In 1890 the So ciety of Antiquaries took up the work, and now the greater part of the ancient site has been ex plored. The museum at Reading has been chosen as the depository of such objects as can be trans ported. The wall forms an irregular heptagon. of about miles in circuit. Six gates have been found; the main gates are on Roman roads which traversed the town from north to south and east to west. In the centre lay the Forum, an open space surrounded on three sides by colonnades with shops behind them, while on the fourth was the Basilica, a hall 270 feet long by 58 feet wide. Outside the whole block was a colonnade fronting on the street.
The streets divided the town into a series of blocks (insider); the houses were not closely joined, but seem to have stood in their own gardens. They are not of the type of the eity house of Italy, but consist of rooms opening from a long corridor, or else of three such corridors about a square eourt-yard. One house of large size, and with baths attached, is supposed to have been an inn. Three temples have been found. and apparently an early Christian church, a small building with a nave, two aisles, and an apse, as well as side rooms. The place was thor oughly Roma nized, as is proved by the insetip tions and the art, in which nothing Celtic is dis cernible. The earlier excavations art' reported in „Irehwologia (London Society of Antiquaries), vols. xl., xlvi., and 1. Beginning with vol. lii. (1890) full annual reports have been published, well illustrated by plates and plans. For a brief aeconnt of the excavations through 1898. see The Classical Bericir, ziin. (London. 1899).