Lindinis

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Lindinis ( Lindinae ) was a small Roman city in the province of Britannia ( Britain ). Then by the fourth century it was probably fine within the boundaries of the newly established province of Britannia . The ancient name is only passed down by the geographer of Ravenna and on two inscriptions that were found on Hadrian's Wall . Lindinis was one of two main places of the Durotriges civitas . This status is only attested in the inscriptions found on Hadrian's Wall. This civitas may not have been divided until the second century, since at the beginning only Durnovaria is occupied as the main town.

The city is now identified with Ilchester ( Somerset ).

Lindinis had an Iron Age predecessor settlement ( oppidum ), of which remains of the fortifications were found. In Roman times, a Roman military camp was built west of it , which was soon replaced by a civilian settlement. The small town took up an approximate area of ​​25 hectares. An area of ​​ten hectares was later surrounded by a wall. Remnants of streets suggest a plan with streets intersecting at right angles. The interior of the city was densely built with stone buildings. There were numerous mosaics that indicate a certain wealth. No public buildings have been identified so far. There are large burial grounds especially east of the city wall. Remnants of important suburbs have been excavated in the south. The city seems to have flourished until the end of the fourth century.

There were numerous richly furnished villas in the vicinity of the city, such as B. the villa at Lufton , East Coker , Ilchester Mead , Halstock or the villa at Pitney .

Ilchester was an important city in the Middle Ages . Archaeologically, however, there is little evidence of settlement continuity into the Middle Ages. At least there was wood construction in some places above the Roman stone buildings, and the cemeteries were apparently still in use in the fifth century.

literature

  • Peter Leach: Roman Somerset. Dovecote Press, Wimborne 2001, ISBN 1-874336-93-8 , pp. 52-64.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Roger White: Britannia Prima, Britain's Last Roman Province , Chalford 2007 ISBN 978-0-7524-1967-1 , pp. 100, 120
  2. ↑ Stephen R. Cosh, David S. Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain. Volume 2: South-West Britain. Illuminata Publishers for the Society of Antiquaries of London, London 2005, ISBN 0-9547916-1-4 , pp. 215-226.

Coordinates: 51 ° 0 ′ 6 "  N , 2 ° 40 ′ 58"  W.