Isurium or Isurium of the
Brigantes ( la, Isurium Brigantum) was a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
and
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Britannia
Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...
at the site of present-day
Aldborough in
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. Its remains—the Aldborough Roman Site—are in the care of
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
.
The
Roman road through the town formed a leg of both
Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street is a modern designation of a Roman road which ran north from Eboracum (York), crossing the Stanegate at Corbridge (Hadrian's Wall was crossed at the Portgate, just to the north) and continuing beyond into what is n ...
—connecting
Eboracum
Eboracum () was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. In its prime it was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. The site remained occupied after the decline of the Western Roman Empire and ultimat ...
(
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
) to the
Antonine Wall—and the Roman equivalent of
Watling Street
Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main ...
, which here connected Eboracum with
Luguvalium
Luguvalium was a Roman town in northern Britain in antiquity. It was located within present-day Carlisle, Cumbria, and may have been the capital of the 4th-century province of Valentia.
Name
The Romans called the settlement at what is today ...
(
Carlisle). The modern village retains part of the Roman street plan and the church stands on the site of the forum.
History
Isurium Brigantum, one of the northernmost urban centres of the Roman Empire was probably founded in the late first century or early second century. The Roman
civitas was the administrative centre of the
Brigantes tribe, the largest and most northerly tribe in Roman Britain. Roman towns such as Exeter, Leicester, Chichester and Canterbury had the same status as ''Isurium''.
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...
recorded that ''Isuer'' was the seat of
Venutius
Venutius was a 1st-century king of the Brigantes in northern Britain at the time of the Roman conquest. Some have suggested he may have belonged to the Carvetii, a tribe that probably formed part of the Brigantes confederation.
History first b ...
, king of the Brigantes who was usurped from power by his wife,
Cartismandua and her lover Volucatus at the beginning of the first century. Cartismandua welcomed the Romans who perceived little threat from the Brigantes and the Roman army focused its occupation to the south of Brigantium. When Venutius and his followers began to attack Brigantian centres towards the end of the first century, the Roman army pushed further north. Tacitus reports the final subjugation of the Brigantes came about by
Julius Agricola in 79 AD. who then constructed Isurium.
Its name is believed to be derived from the Latin name of the river ''Iseur'' now the
River Ure
The River Ure in North Yorkshire, England is approximately long from its source to the point where it becomes the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only major dale now named after a village rather than its r ...
. It is likely there was a Brigantian settlement at ''Isurium'' before the Roman invasion. There are many prehistoric sites along the
A1 corridor which partially follows the route of
Watling and
Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street is a modern designation of a Roman road which ran north from Eboracum (York), crossing the Stanegate at Corbridge (Hadrian's Wall was crossed at the Portgate, just to the north) and continuing beyond into what is n ...
s. There are three ancient standing stones in Boroughbridge known as the
Devil's Arrows a mile distant from the site.
There is in fact no archaeological evidence to suggest that there was a Brigantian settlement called Iseur: the most likely Iron Age settlement is
Stanwick further north near
Richmond where Cartimandua had her base. Isurium probably became a civilian settlement between the
Roecliffe fort (see below) and the River Ure during the last part of the first century. The Civitas Capital was probably established in about 160 AD.
It was supposed that Isurium was the site of a 1st-century
Roman fort where Watling and Dere Streets crossed the
River Ure
The River Ure in North Yorkshire, England is approximately long from its source to the point where it becomes the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only major dale now named after a village rather than its r ...
. Excavations in 1993 located two forts at Roecliffe near
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge () is a town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is north-west of the county town of York. Until a bypass was built the town lay on t ...
and 1st-century finds at Aldborough most likely come from a related civilian site. Isurium Brigantum had substantial buildings from an early period; probably by the early 2nd century. Bank and ditch defences were erected later. Stone walls and four gates were added in the mid-3rd century. The visible remains are a small fraction of the Roman town. Isurium flourished for the next hundred years, with the building of elaborate private homes with fine decorative
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
floors. In the middle of the 4th century,
bastions were added to its defences and general unrest across the
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
seems to have affected the town's prosperity.
There is little evidence of occupation after the
end of Roman rule in Britain and by the 7th century the
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
had taken over the area.
Archaeology
The 16th-century antiquary
John Leland noted, ''"There be now large feeldes, fruteful of corn, in the very places where the howsing of the town was; and in these feeldes yereley be founde in ploughing many coynes of sylver and brasse of the Romaine stampe—Ther also have been found sepulchres, aqaue ductus tessalata paviamenta &.c.''" Two centuries after Leland,
Daniel Defoe wrote ''"Not so much ruins, especially not above ground"''.
In 2011, geomagnetic scanning revealed the existence of an
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
, emphasising Isurium's importance as a major Roman town.
The site came to prominence during excavations taking place in 2004. A young archaeologist, Daniel Ebdon, was using a metal detector for the first time and uncovered a Roman coin. This, along with others of its kind, can be found in The Yorkshire Museum, York.
Aldborough Roman Site
Aldborough Roman Site is in the care of
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
and consists of a stretch of the massive town wall with its defensive towers and two in-situ mosaic pavements, once part of a Roman townhouse. A display of archaeological finds from the site are on display in the museum providing an insight into the lives of Roman civilians in its most northern capital.
Aldborough Roman town has been designated a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
under the
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
The Aldborough Roman Town Project, led by
Rose Ferraby and
Martin Millett
Martin John Millett, (born 30 September 1955) is a British archaeologist and academic. From 2001 to 2022, he was the Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and a professorial fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Ca ...
has been investigating the site since 2016. In 2019 Ferraby and sound artist Rob St John created a site specific audio trail exploring the Roman town.
References
External links
English Heritage: Aldborough Roman Site A national theatre of the north is found on summit of Studforth Hill in Aldborough
{{authority control
History of North Yorkshire
Archaeological sites in North Yorkshire
Roman towns and cities in England
Tourist attractions in North Yorkshire
Museums in North Yorkshire
Museums of ancient Rome in the United Kingdom
Archaeological museums in England
Boroughbridge
English Heritage sites in North Yorkshire
Roman sites in North Yorkshire
Scheduled monuments in North Yorkshire