Bath city walls the Romans, to surround their town (known then as "Aquae Sulis"), probably in the 3rd century. The Anglo-Saxons by the 10th century had established Bath as a fortified "burh" (borough), utilising the existing town walls, and maintaining Bath as a centre of regional power. Bath, located on the northern edge of the kingdom of Wessex, would have guarded against any attack from neighbouring Mercia, which was held by the Danes for a time. The height of the walls was increased on the orders of King Stephen during The Anarchy. Bath's medieval walls included four gates. The North and South Gates
Votive offering MAT[ER]-MATVTA, SALVS, FIDE, and IVNONII (Juno). A curse tablet or defixio is a small sheet of tin or lead on which a message wishing misfortune upon someone else was inscribed. Usually found rolled up and deliberately deposited, there are five main reasons for dedicating a curse tablet: 1 – Litigation, 2 – Competition, 3 – Trade, 4 – Erotic Ambition, 5 – Theft Of those in Britain the vast majority are of type 5. The two largest concentrations are from the sacred springs at Aquae Sulis, where 130 examples are recorded, and at Uley, where over 140 examples are visible.