Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (166 page)

BOOK: Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
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Constans
[Na].
Roman emperor, ad 337–50.
Constantine I
[Na].
Roman emperor, ad 306.
Constantine II
[Na].
Roman emperor, ad 337–40.
Constantine III
(Flavius Claudius )
[Na].
Roman emperor who was proclaimed by the army in Britain in ad 407 and who crossed to Gaul where he founded an independent Gallic empire based on the southern French town of Arles. His usurpation was legitimized in 409 by Honorius who was hard pressed by the Visigoths. However, Alaric's death allowed the Roman authorities to defeat and kill Constantine and disperse his followers. He died
c.
ad 411.
Constantinople, Turkey
[Si].
Constantius
[Na].
Roman emperor, ad 305–6.
construction trench
[Co].
The linear hole that is dug to provide a solid footing for a wall. Such trenches are as wide as the wall will eventually be and are usually excavated to the point where a solid and stable substrate exists. The full width of the trench is then typically filled with a rubble footing onto the centre of which the wall is set. Once the construction of the wall has taken it above ground level the open parts of the construction trench on either side are backfilled, often with building debris and rubbish from the general vicinity. Such trenches are important to identify in archaeological excavations because they show the level within the stratigraphy at which construction of a wall or structure began. Also known as a foundation trench or a bedding trench. See also
ROBBER TRENCH
.

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