Catherine Downes facts for kids
Catherine Downes was an amazing English woman who lived in the 1700s. She was an antiquarian and an archaeologist. This means she studied old things and dug up ancient sites.
In 1786, Catherine Downes excavated a Roman villa near Warminster, England. She was one of the first women to dig at a Roman site. This makes her a very important person in the early history of archaeology. She also helped the Society of Antiquaries of London, which is a group that studies old things.
Discovering an Ancient Roman Villa
Catherine first heard about the Roman villa from a farmworker. She read about the discovery in a newspaper called the Salisbury Journal. She then got permission to dig and hired an assistant.
The site was called Pit Mead. It was located near Warminster on land owned by Lord Weymouth. Her team's investigations uncovered many exciting things.
What Was Found?
They found four beautiful mosaic floors. Mosaics are pictures made from tiny colored stones. They also found a bath house, which was a common feature in Roman villas.
Many other objects were discovered too. These included pieces of pottery, old coins, and items made from bone and metal. They even found an ivory bodkin, which is a type of large needle.
One of the mosaics was drawn by Catherine Downes herself. This drawing was later engraved by James Basire. The mosaic was moved to Longleat, a large estate. Its exact location is not known today.
Sharing Her Discoveries
Catherine Downes shared her findings with the Society of Antiquaries of London. She sent them a letter on March 10, 1788. Another person, Daines Barrington, read her letter to the society.
Her letter included her own drawings of the mosaic floors and the objects she found. These drawings were later published in a book called Vetusta Monumenta.
Catherine's descriptions showed she was very good at recording details. Even though she wasn't an expert in Latin, she understood how to properly describe and record her archaeological finds. This was very important for archaeology, which was a new field at the time.
