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Sylva Antiqua Iscana, Numismatica, Quinetiam Figulina, or Roman and other Antiquities of Exeter

Exeter: W C Featherstone (1841) 145 pp.

by

W.T.P. Shortt

Prepared by Michael Steer

Pages i- xx; 1-75.

An alphabetic list of subscribers is presented on pp. 148-150.

The Roman army reached Exeter in about AD 50-55 during the conquest of south western Britain. A legionary fortress was built and became the base for the 5000 strong Second Augustan Legion. In the ensuing centuries Exeter turned into a very rich source of Roman era archaeology. The book describes and elucidates the harvest of coins, samian ware and other relics recovered from excavations throughout the early Victorian period. Its author, W.T.P. Shortt of Heavitree, near Exeter was among the early antiquaries to gather information on Devon's archaeological finds. He was educated in Quebec, but eventually returned to England where he gained a BA at Worcester College, Oxford, in 1821 and, embarked on a career in the British Army. In 1824, he co-authored a Journal of the Principal Occurrences During the Siege of Quebec. Shortt was a Lieutenant in the 17th Regiment of Foot. However, he abandoned his military career and moved in 1832 to Heavitree, where he lived as a gentleman of independent means. He developed a keen interest in Roman relics and especially coins, many of which were being found during the substantial reconstruction of Exeter between 1830s and the 1850s. This rare and much sought-after book was produced digitally by Google from a copy in the University of California Library collection and can be downloaded from HathiTrust. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.