Roman Amphitheatre

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of an amphitheatre, believed to date primarily to the 2nd century AD within Roman period (1st - 4th century AD) and which is located c 250m to the north east of the boundary of town defences of Roman Carmarthen (Moridunum). The amphitheatre has an elliptical structure, with a long axis of c 90m and a short axis of c 60m. It was excavated in 1968 and 1970, revealing the course of the arena wall and traces of the seating arrangement, giving an estimated seating capacity of 4500-5000. It was constructed by cutting into the hillside to the north and using the excavated soil to make up the south bank of the seating area (cavea).

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of Roman military and urban organisation. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques, together with a strong probability of environmental evidence. Amphitheatres may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.