Muntham Court Romano-British site

The site was excavated in the 1950s by Mr. G.P. Burstow and Mr. G.A. Holleyman at a cost of about £50 (equivalent to £331 in 2023) with equipment borrowed from Brighton College (Junior School).^[3] It revealed an extensive late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement including housing structures, trackways, field boundaries as well as a temple or a shrine. A 76.2 metres (250 ft) deep well can be found in the adjacent field to the south.^[4]

The late Iron Age settlement is located at the top of the hill and includes several hundred post holes marking probable locations of huts and corn drying racks. A storage pit can also be found. The settlement was partially enclosed by a palisade with a shallow ditch marking an eastern edge of the site, it survives as a buried feature. Finds from the site include fragment of a Bronze Age perforated macehead, Iron Age pottery as well as spindle whorls and loom weights.^[2]

The Romano-British temple is located at the summit of the hill and can be seen as earthwork marked by a circular depression 11 metres (36 ft) in diameter. The shrine itself was constructed from wood rather than stone^[5] and consisted of two structures, one square and the other trapezoidal, both marked by post-holes.^[6] A copper alloy plaque of a boar from the site may have been associated with a Roman temple at Chanctonbury Ring.^[7] It is now located at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery alongside other artefacts from the site, including a 2nd century enamelled fish brooch and a 3rd century musical instrument mouthpiece.^[8]

A number of archeological finds from the site are held at the Worthing Museum (both on display as well as in storage).^[8] This list presents notable finds in alphabetical order.

Item	Description	Date	Material	Location	Image
Bill hook[9]	An iron hook used for cutting plants.	1st - 4th century AD	Iron	Worthing Museum
Boar plaque[7][8]	A small copper plaque of a charging boar (100 millimetres (3.9 in) by 40 millimetres (1.6 in)).	1st - 4th century AD	Copper alloy	Worthing Museum
Bones and shells[10]	Animal bone and oyster shell fragments	1st - 4th century AD	Bone and shell	Worthing Museum
Enamelled fish brooch[11][8]	A brooch in the shape of a fish with blue, red and green enamel 30 millimetres (1.2 in) long.	2nd century AD	Copper alloy Enamel	Worthing Museum
Model leg[12]	A crude model of human leg.		Clay	Worthing Museum
Musical instrument mouthpiece[8]	A metal mouthpiece for a musical instrument.	3rd century AD		Worthing Museum
Needle and hairpin[13]	Bone needle and a bone hairpin, 85 millimetres (3.3 in) and 50 millimetres (2.0 in) long respectively.	1st - 4th century AD	Bone	Worthing Museum
Penannular brooch[14]	Small metal broach, 26 millimetres (1.0 in) diameter.	1st - 2nd century AD	Copper alloy	Worthing Museum
Saw blade[15]	A saw blade fragment, 60 millimetres (2.4 in) long.	1st - 4th century AD	Iron	Worthing Museum
Sceptre pommel[16]	A hollow object 105 millimetres (4.1 in) long that may have served as a pommel for a sceptre.	1st - 4th century AD	Copper alloy	Worthing Museum
Shield boss[17]	Copper shield boss perforated at the corners	1st - 4th century AD	Copper alloy	Worthing Museum
Stud[18]	Ornamented stud 23 millimetres (0.91 in) diameter.	1st - 4th century AD	Copper alloy	Worthing Museum
Wire tongs[19]	Thin wire tongs 100 millimetres (3.9 in) long when bent.	1st - 4th century AD	Copper alloy	Worthing Museum