Caesar’s Camp
The Caesar’s Camp building at Heathrow, Middlesex, ‘A Celtic temple’, was excavated in the mid nineteen-forties at the future site of London airport. Characterised by its rectangular form, the timber post building is considered representative of the newly arrived European Celtic tribal traditions. The presumed basis of design incorporates a 3:4:5 sided triangle that defined the central inner area of the building. The surrounding outer area could have served as an audience observation zone.
HEATHROW TEMPLE, c.500 BC
Antiquarian Dr William Stukeley visited the Middlesex site on April 18th 1723. His sketch of that date showed earthworks with an exterior ditch and rectangular mound within. The central area was shown to be essentially flat. The site was known as “Caesars Camp on Hounfow heath”
In advance of the construction of London Heathrow airport in the late nineteen-forties, an archaeological excavation team found traces of an Iron Age building of considerable size. Almost rectangular in plan, about 20 metres by 18 metres, the Iron Age structure had originally been built with inner and outer walls of timber posts. An entrance faced eastwards. It can be reasonably be assumed the structure was roofed with straw thatch, the apex supported by the six innermost large diameter posts and the outer perimeter by fifty or more slender wall posts. The timber postholes varied in size, those within the inner courtyard posts being quite large, perhaps a metre diameter. The outer wall postholes indicated posts perhaps half a metre diameter. Scattered additional postholes within and without the principal walls may have been supplementary posts to support a roof or perhaps extra features such as an entrance portico, or ornamental arches.
The building is presumed to have been a Celtic temple, the rectangular inner sanctum defined and surrounded by six large diameter posts, an inner area for ceremonial purposes of about twelve square metres. Still under the same roof but between the inner and outer walls, the surrounding perimeter space would have been large enough to accommodate up to fifty witnesses to any ceremonies, maybe standing room only, but witnesses nonetheless. Alternatively, the inner space could have been the tribal chief’s area for the privileged few, carousing, eating and drinking. The surrounding space would have allowed less important people to join the feasting and merriment but at a respectful distance from the nobility.
The elements of the original geometric design and its dimensions have been reconstructed as defined straight lines. Note these have been drawn to touch the posts, not through the centre of each principal post as practised today. The numerical lengths are quoted in faethms. Inner space post positions appear to have been defined by a 3, 4, 5 faethm right-angled triangle.
My jpeg illustration is not accepted by your pane, nevertheless try Google in hope of a view.
Wonder whether the Stansted site and Caesar's camp constructs have anything in common? Sincerely, Neil L. Thomas
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