Introduction

During the Roman period from the late 2nd century BC to about 400AD the Channel Islands were considered important staging posts for traders en route from Western Gaul (France) to Britain. One sought after commodity was Italian wine for which traders found a ready and lucrative market. An amphora of wine could be traded for a slave.
The raising of the Gallo-Roman trading vessel from St.Peter Port harbour in 1984 proved conclusively that Guernsey was indeed an important stopping-off place on the cross-channel trading route. Prior to this discovery divers had found several near complete wine amphorae just a short distance away.
Between 1983 and 1985 excavations took place at La Plaiderie in the heart of St. Peter Port. La Plaiderie which takes its name from the medieval courthouse or "pleading-place" of the town had served as a waterfront trading station during the Gallo-Roman period between c 100 AD- 400 AD. This site once situated right on the waterfront would have served as an indispensable stopping-off place on the important trade route between northern Gaul,modern St.Malo, and southern Britain, modern Southampton.Although the structures found had been drastically interfered with by later activities enough remained to indicate what they would have originally looked like.                                                                                                

There were two large stone buildings probably warehouses which had replaced earlier wooden structures. The buildings originally had thick granite walls about 3-4 feet high with  wooden studwork or plaster and wattle partitions above. Their roofs were tiled with yards of well-made stone drains and various pits used to dispose of rubbish or as stores. Close to the south gable wall of one building was found a cremation burial in a pottery urn. The site contained large quantities of Gallo-Roman finds of all types. It is likely that the Plaiderie served as a stopping -off place for ships engaged in the cross-channel trade sheltering from bad weather taking on water and supplies and doing a little trading on the side. Indications gained from the study of the finds indicates a possible military presence at the site. It was not unusual for old soldiers to be given positions of authority as a reward for good service.
In order to survive the inhabitants of the Plaiderie would have needed to produce much of their food and clothing on or close to the site. Several objects have survived which give us some idea of the processes involved. The bottom half of a rotary corn-grinding quern was discovered buried at the bottom of a pit sealed by the wall of one of the buildings. The growing of wheat, the grinding of grain into flour and the baking of bread was of course a daily task. Spindle whorls, small weights used in the spinning process were also found and a large pair of shears or scissors was buried inside one of the buildings.
Other necessary trades such as bone, leather or wood working would almost certainly have been carried out at the Plaiderie. Glass making played an important part of the economy of neighbouring Gaul and it is probable that much of the glass found at the Plaiderie site was produced there.

   Artefacts found at The Plaiderie      A pig's head

The complete and carefully laid out skeleton of a pig was also found in the Roman levels of the Plaiderie; pig sacrifices are referred to in Roman literature.
The Gallo-Roman Vessel
The discovery by a diver in 1977 of a group of Spanish amphorae just off the harbour mouth reinforced the importance of the Plaiderie and the harbour of St.Peter Port. In December 1982 the same diver Richard Keen, came across a spread of massive waterlogged timbers right in the harbour mouth itself. The wreck contained pottery and other objects which were obviously of late Roman date. This was the final proof, here was a Gallo-Roman trading vessel with its associated cargo and the personal possessions of its small crew. The boat became known as "Asterix" and is the most northerly discovered of its kind.
The ship was built of oak and held together by iron nails which are up to 60cms long. There is evidence that 1500 nails were used in the floor timbers alone. All the timbers were just butted against each other without using carpentered joints. The seams between them were plugged with caulking made from oak shavings. The nail holes were made watertight with moss grommets.
This 1/20th scale model was based on the information above.

The timbers are of several types. The keel plank was 14 metres long and comprised three flat timbers side by side, giving a flat bottom suitable for grounding on a beach. Nailed across the keel was a series of 38 huge "floor" timbers. These form the shape of the ship's bottom which survives to a width of 4.5m at its centre. At the stern was the "stern post", a curving timber which formed the shape. More floors were nailed onto this, and in addition had a rebate cut on the underside to allow them to fit onto the stern post, producing a flush underside. The corresponding part from the bow is missing, but we suspect that it was of similar shape. This means the ship was double ended.
Two thirds of the way forward is the "mast step". This is a square hole cut into the top of the large floor, where the mast would fit. The ship had one mast, probably carrying a single square sail. One timber is thought to be the "mast partner". This stabilized the mast higher up as it passed the level of the hold.
Just forward of the stern post is a large floor, with a strip of wood cut into its top face. This is thought to have supported a partition and suggests that there was a compartment at the back of the ship.
All the evidence suggests that the ship was about 22 - 25 metres long, flat bottomed and single sailed. It appears to be a Celtic Merchantman, the sort of ship built and crewed by Britons and Gauls, specifically for the treacherous waters of the English Channel. The Guernsey ship sounds similar to one described by Julius Caesar when he first brought Roman rule to the region.
The Crew
The crew of  our ship  were probably Gauls or Britons rather that Mediterranean Romans. No human remains  have been found, so as the ship sank in shallow water, we must assume that any crew on board when the fire broke out escaped to safety. Although the times were disturbed and violent there is no reason to suspect that the fire on the ship was caused by anything more sinister than an accident in the galley.
It is probable that our ship operated the route from Southwestern Spain, north Africa, the Atlantic coast of France and across to Poole or Southampton in Britain. Guernsey would have had little attraction for Roman merchants, other than as a safe haven in waters with strong currents and numerous navigational hazards. Our ship could have been sheltering from a gale, taking on fresh water or awaiting a fair wind in harbour when disaster struck. We do not know what cargo it was carrying. This may have been unloaded before the accident or may have been flammable or perishable, in which case it has not survived.
Artefacts
The divers recovered over 2.500 registered finds during the excavations. some of these were the rubbish which had accumulated over the site since the ship sank. Everything to Medieval pottery to "Sealink" saucers. The key finds were those which were trapped under the pitch.
Coins
80 bronze coins were found. After dating all the coins the evidence suggests that the ship sank between AD280 and AD286.
Pottery
Several hundred pieces of pottery were found in and around the wreck. The pottery fragments were cleaned by volunteers then rinsed free of salt.
Metalwork
Bronze finds from the ship included four fish hooks, crewmen's belt buckles and brooches and ship fittings. An interesting discovery was a pair of beautiful bearings from the ships man-powered bilge pump. Unfortunately none of these finds may be displayed at present as they are being conserved.
Tile
The hearth from the galley was found broken into dozens of small pieces. Over it had been a small roof, constructed of standard square roofing tiles. Several of these can be reconstructed: two bear the imprint of dogs paws.
The Galley
Other than the hearth and the pots and pans, the galley area also yielded food remains. much of this was in the ship's bilge. as well as a few animals bones, it included edible shell fish such as ormers, oysters, scallops, crabs, winkles, cockles and limpets.
Stone
A diverse selection of stones was amongst the rubbish in the bottom of the ship. The most interesting find was one quarter of a millstone. This was used to grind the ships grain to make bread.

Artist's impression of Asterix