How archaeologists reconstructed a Roman gateway to tell the story of Britain's invasion

• Visitors to Richborough Roman fort near Sandwich in east Kent will now find a major new addition to the site: a reconstructed Roman fort gateway in timber, flanked by stretches of an earthwork rampart.
• The gate has been built on the site of an actual Roman gateway, thought to date to the invasion of Britain in AD43 under the emperor Claudius.
• Recent re-excavation revealed the emplacements of the post-holes housing the uprights of the gate, inside a pair of north-south defensive ditches.

What was the purpose of the gateway and defences?

• This force consisted of four legions of heavy infantry (some 20,000 men) along with a probably equivalent number of auxiliary troops, cavalry and light infantry.
• Richborough lay on the Kentish shore of the Wantsum, with a sheltered area for an anchorage or for beaching ships at the bottom of the sea cliff.
• The monument was decorated with scenes showing the campaigns, with one showing Roman soldiers building a fort.
• An enclosed, boarded structure would have been much more conducive to military effectiveness.

Understanding Richborough’s significance

• Remains from nearly four centuries are now visible at the site, making it difficult for visitors to understand.
• Originally sheathed in white Carrara marble from Italy (only fragments survive), it has an inscription in gilt bronze letters.
• After the army moved on, Richborough became a major port with, among other things, an amphitheatre, also recently excavated.