Isurium Brigantum

Detail of a mosaic that was found in the city

Isurium Brigantum was a Roman city in Britain on the site of present-day Aldborough in North Yorkshire . It was the main place of the civitas of the brigands .

The origin of the Roman city is uncertain, but it is believed that there was a military camp in its place in the second half of the 1st century AD . At that time there was definitely a village that even had stone buildings. Under Hadrian , the city was founded after the entire region came under full Roman control and was pacified.

The relatively small town of 22.3 hectares was given a plan with streets crossing at right angles and, at an unknown point in time, a city wall with probably four gates. This city wall was renovated in the 4th century AD.

Since the ancient city is built over in a modern way, little is known of the actual development. The forum is presumed to be in the center, but has not yet been identified with absolute certainty. After all, in 1770 the remains of an 82 meter long wall came to light in the center of the city, which might belong to a forum. In the west of the city, right by the city wall, there was a bathing facility . It is unclear whether it belonged to a private house, public bath, or mansio . At various points in the city, residential buildings could be cut during excavations. These were partly equipped with mosaics and hypocausts and demonstrate a high standard of living. A little outside the city walls, in the north, a 2.7 × 1.8 meter basin was found; similar structures were found at the east and west gates. Perhaps they are cisterns, although it is unclear where they got the water from.

Almost nothing is known about the end of the Roman city in the 5th century AD.

Individual evidence

↑ David S. Neal, Stephen R. Cosh: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume I, Northern Britain, incorporating the Midlands and East Anglia , The Society of Antiquaries if London, London 2002, ISBN 0-953-78452-5 , pp. 305-322.

literature

John Wacher: The Towns of Roman Britain , Routledge, London / New York 1997, ISBN 0-415-17041-9 , pp. 401-407.

Web links

Isurium Brigantum (Engl.)

54.0908 -1.3816Coordinates: 54 ° 5 '26.9 " N , 1 ° 22' 53.8" W.

[1] David S. Neal, Stephen R. Cosh: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume I, Northern Britain, incorporating the Midlands and East Anglia , The Society of Antiquaries if London, London 2002, ISBN 0-953-78452-5 , pp. 305-322.