BRITANNIA
A JOURNAL OF ROMANO-BRITISH AND KINDRED STUDIES
VOLUME 44 (2013)
CONTENTS
ARTICLES
ANDREW GARDNER, Thinking about Roman Imperialism: Postcolonialism, Globalisation
and Beyond?, 1–25
FRANCIS M. MORRIS, Cunobelinus’ Bronze Coinage, 27–83
JOHN MAGILTON†, RIB I, 2334*: An Alleged Inscription from Chichester Reconsidered,
85–92
DAVID WENT and STEWART AINSWORTH, Whitley Castle, Northumberland: An
Analytical Survey of the Fort and its Setting, 93–143
WILLIAM BOWDEN, The Urban Plan of Venta Icenorum and its Relationship with the
Boudican Revolt, 145–169
JEREMY TAYLOR, Encountering Romanitas: Characterising the Role of Agricultural
Communities in Roman Britain, 171–190
H.E.M COOL and J.E. RICHARDSON, Exploring Ritual Deposits in a Well at Rothwell
Haigh, Leeds, 191–217
A. TASKER, I.P. WILKINSON, M. WILLIAMS, M. MORRIS, N.J. COOPER and M.G.
FULFORD, Provenance of Chalk Tesserae from a Roman Town-House in Vine Street,
Leicester, 219–246
NOTES
J.R.L. ALLEN, Rotary Querns of Alderney Sandstone from Brading and Silchester in
Roman Britain: a New and Rare Import, 247–250
ALEX BROWN, From Iron Age to Early Medieval: Detecting the Ecological Impact of the
Romans on the Landscape of South-East Wales, 250–257
FRASER HUNTER, Some Evidence for Brooch Manufacture in Roman Scotland, 257–264
MILES RUSSELL, A Near Life-size, Togate Bust from Chichester, West Sussex, 264–270
FELICITY WILD, A Samian Repair and Recycling Workshop at Kempston Church End,
Beds, 271–275
ROMAN BRITAIN IN 2012
I Sites Explored by E.M. Chapman, F. Hunter, P. Wilson and P. Booth, 277–343
II Finds Reported under the Portable Antiquities Scheme by S. Worrell and J. Pearce, 345–
380
III Inscriptions by R.S.O. Tomlin, 381–396
REVIEW ARTICLE
ADAM ROGERS, Rural Settlement in Late Iron Age and Roman Britain: a Review of Three
Recent Archaeological Fieldwork Reports and their Wider Implications, 397–400
REVIEWS
BOOTH, P., T. CHAMPION, S. FOREMAN, P. GARWOOD, H. GLASS, J. MUNBY and
A. REYNOLDS, On Track. The Archaeology of High Speed 1 Section 1 in Kent
Settling the Ebbsfleet Valley. High Speed 1 Excavations at Springhead and Northfleet,
Kent (by Neil Holbrook), 401–403
OXFORD WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY, The Late Iron Age, Roman, Saxon and Medieval
Landscape (4 vols) (by Neil Holbrook), 401–403
BREEZE, D.J., The Frontiers of Imperial Rome (by Mark Hassall), 403–404
CAUMONT, O., Dépôts votifs et d’équipements militaires dans le sanctuaire gaulois et
galloromain des Flaviers à Mouzon (Ardennes) (by Philip Kiernan), 404–405
CHARDRON-PICAULT, P. (Ed.), Aspects de l’artisanat en milieu urbain: Gaule et
Occident romain. Actes du colloque international d’Autun, 20–22 septembre 2007 (by
Michael J. Jones), 405–406
CHRISTIE, N., The Fall of the Western Roman Empire: an Archaeological and Historical
Perspective (by Ellen Swift), 406–407
DURHAM, E., Depicting the Gods: Metal Figurines in Roman Britain (by Nina Crummy),
407–408
FERDIÈRE, A., La Gaule Lyonnaise (by John F. Drinkwater), 408–409
FERRIS, I.M., The Beautiful Rooms are Empty: Excavations at Binchester Roman Fort,
County Durham 1976–1981 and 1986–1991 (by Nick Hodgson), 409–410
FERRIS, I.M., Vinovia: the Buried Roman City of Binchester in Northern England (by Nick
Hodgson), 409–410
HILL, J. and P. ROWSOME, Roman London and the Walbrook Stream Crossing:
Excavations at 1 Poultry and Vicinity, City of London (by Dominic Perring), 411–412
LEARY, J. and J. BUTLER, Roman Archaeology in the Upper Reaches of the Walbrook
Valley: Excavations at 6–8 Tokenhouse Yard, London EC2 (by Dominic Perring), 411–
412
HINGLEY, R., Hadrian’s Wall, a Life (by David J. Breeze), 412–414
KEPPIE, L., The Antiquarian Rediscovery of the Antonine Wall (by David J. Breeze), 412–
414
JONES, P., The Roman and Medieval Town of Staines. The Development of the Town (by
Barry C. Burnham), 414–416
MEDLYCOTT, M., The Roman Town of Great Chesterford (by Barry C. Burnham), 414–
416
JACKSON, R., Ariconium Herefordshire. An Iron Age and Romano-British ‘Small Town’ (by
Barry C. Burnham), 414–416
LEHMANN, G.A., Imperium und Barbaricum. Neue Befunde und Erkenntnisse zu den
römisch-germanischen Auseinandersetzungen im nordwestdeutschen Raum — von der
augusteischen Okkupationsphase bis zum Germanien-Zug des Maximinus Thrax (235 n.
Chr.) (by Eberhard W. Sauer), 416–417
MACKRETH, D.F., Brooches in Late Iron Age and Roman Britain (by Nina Crummy), 417–
418
MOSSER, M., et al., Die römischen Kasernen im Legionslager Vindobona: die
Ausgrabungen am Judenplatz in Wien in den Jahren 1995–1998 (by Birgitta
Hoffmann), 418–419
NOSCH, M.-L. (Ed.), Wearing the Cloak. Dressing the Soldier in Roman Times (by Ursula
Rothe), 419–420
NOWAKOWSKI, J.A. and H. QUINNELL, Trevelgue Head, Cornwall: the Importance of
C.K. Croft Andrew’s 1939 Excavations for Prehistoric and Roman Cornwall (by
Frances Griffith), 420–421
OTTAWAY, P., Archaeology in the Environs of Roman York: Excavations 1976–2005 (by
Steve Roskams), 421–422
PROCTOR, J., Faverdale, Darlington: Excavations at a Major Settlement in the Northern
Frontier Zone of Roman Britain (by David Petts), 422–423
ROGERS, A., Late Roman Towns in Britain. Rethinking Change and Decline (by Michael G.
Fulford), 423–424
ROYMANS, N. and T. DERKS (Eds), Villa Landscapes in the Roman North. Economy,
Culture and Lifestyles (by Clive Bridger), 424–425
SCORE, V., Hoards, Hounds and Helmets. A Conquest-period Ritual Site at Hallaton,
Leicestershire (by Tom Moore), 425–426
SHEPHERD, J., The Discovery of the Roman Fort at Cripplegate, City of London, Based
upon the Records from Excavations by W.F. Grimes for the Roman and Mediaeval
London Excavation Council 1947–68 (by Christopher Sparey-Green), 426–427
SOUTHERN, P., Roman Britain: a New History 55 BC–AD 450 (by Miles Russell), 427–
428
WAITE, J., To Rule Britannia: the Claudian Invasion of Britain, AD 43 (by Miles Russell),
427–428
WILSON, A., Roman and Native in the Central Scottish Borders (by Andrew Dunwell),
428–429
WOOLF, G., Tales of the Barbarians. Ethnography and Empire in the Roman West (by
Fraser Hunter), 429–430
BRITANNIA 2013 ABSTRACTS
Andrew Gardner: Thinking about Roman Imperialism: Postcolonialism, Globalisation
and Beyond?
For the last twenty years or so, archaeologists of Roman Britain, among other provinces, have
been seeking ways of moving beyond the concept of ‘Romanisation’ as a framework for
thinking about Roman imperialism. Many of the ideas proposed have been drawn from two
related bodies of thought which have emerged as ways of understanding the contemporary
world: postcolonialism and globalisation theory. While achieving significant success in
transforming interpretations of the Roman world, applications of these approaches present
some fresh problems of theoretical and practical coherence. These in turn point to important
issues to do with the role of theory in Roman archaeology, issues which have rarely been
tackled head-on but which present obstacles to interdisciplinary dialogue. The aim of this
paper is to evaluate and compare the perspectives of postcolonial and globalisation theories,
assess their strengths and weaknesses, and suggest some possibilities for linking the insights
of these and other approaches to define a more holistic agenda for Roman archaeology.
Francis M. Morris: Cunobelinus’ Bronze Coinage
Cunobelinus was the most significant figure in Britain during the decades leading up to the
Roman invasion, though his reign has received relatively little attention. Cunobelinus’
coinage is of great importance to understanding the socio-political structure of South-East
Britain prior to the Roman invasion and whilst studies of his gold and silver have been
published in previous editions of Britannia (Allen 1975; de Jersey 2001), his bronzes have
been subject to surprisingly little work, particularly considering that they are by far the most
common struck bronze issues known from Iron Age Britain, with a total of 2,608 examples
currently recorded in the Celtic Coin Index and on the PAS database combined. This study
proposes a broad typological scheme with which Cunobelinus’ bronzes can be ordered and
demonstrates that, like Cunobelinus’ silver, but unlike his gold, they can be divided into three
regional groupings, which can be argued to correspond to three different political subgroupings under Cunobelinus’ control. In addition, the bronze’s metallurgy and metrology
and the mints at which they were struck are investigated. This article examines the
contribution of coinage to understanding Cunobelinus’ political history, and how he used
imagery to reinforce and legitimate his power in the different regions under his control at
different times during his reign. The types of sites at which Cunobelinus’ bronzes have been
found are also outlined and the likely function of the coins discussed.
John Magilton†: RIB I, 2334*: An Alleged Inscription from Chichester Reconsidered
RIB I, 2334 purports to be a dedication by Sallustius Lucullus, governor of Britain in the first
century A.D. This paper considers arguments for and against its authenticity, coming to the
conclusion that is in fact a forgery. The author also argues against Russell’s contention that
RIB I, 2334 and I, 90 taken together suggest that Lucullus was the son of Amminus and
grandson of Cunobelinus.
David Went and Stewart Ainsworth: Whitley Castle, Northumberland: An Analytical
Survey of the Fort and its Setting
Analytical earthwork and geophysical surveys have advanced our understanding of the
lozenge-shaped Roman fort at Whitley Castle (Northumberland), which is notable for the
exceptional depth of its outer defences. Built at a higher altitude than any other fort in
England, it was almost certainly positioned to control the production and shipment of lead
and silver from the Alston ore-fields. Its curious shape, tailored to that of the natural knoll,
necessitated some adjustment of a standard fort plan, but accommodated six buildings to the
rear of the central range and four to the front. An extramural settlement and terraced fields
have been recorded to the west and north, and a swathe of ground to the south may have
provided space for a parade ground. Post-Roman activity is evident from the cultivation and
settlement remains that override the defences; two bastle-like buildings and an eighteenthcentury farmhouse once stood within the fort itself.
William Bowden: The Urban Plan of Venta Icenorum and its Relationship with the
Boudican Revolt
The idea that the town of Venta Icenorum (Caistor-by-Norwich) was laid out in the early
Flavian period, as part of the Roman reaction to the Boudican revolt, has become canonical in
literature on Roman Britain. Drawing on the results of recent excavations, this paper reevaluates the evidence relating to the establishment of the street grid and questions the idea
that the town reflects a coherent act of urban planning. It concludes by arguing that previous
interpretations of the site within a ‘Boudican’ paradigm are fundamentally flawed.
Jeremy Taylor: Encountering Romanitas: Characterising the Role of Agricultural
Communities in Roman Britain
There has been a hesitancy in academic discussion of Roman Britain to address the potential
significance of the identity and agency of rural communities in shaping the provincial
landscape. This article seeks to address the reasons for this before delineating some avenues
by which we might better investigate this issue. Through two case studies the importance of
kinship, agricultural peers and occupational identity (being farmers) are recognised as
potential drivers for the course of rural life in Roman Britain. In so doing the extent to which
‘being Roman’ was really a central concern of many agricultural communities is questioned.
H.E.M Cool and J.E. Richardson: Exploring Ritual Deposits in a Well at Rothwell
Haigh, Leeds
During the summer of 1977, rescue excavations of a square, ditched enclosure were
undertaken at Rothwell Haigh Colliery, Leeds. Relatively few discrete features were
identified, but a 12.3 m-deep well situated within the enclosure was fully excavated. Pottery
from the well, which was waterlogged from c. 7 m, indicates rapid infilling most likely in the
early to mid-fourth century. Waterlogged wooden objects include a yew bucket, ash spade
with iron shoe and ash drinking vessels, while the disposal of complete pottery vessels, a
quern disc rough-out, articulated animal parts and a human skull highlight the potential for
symbolic deposition. An exploration of the apparently more mundane items shows that they
deviate from the normal domestic patterns seen on local sites, suggesting that selection for
ritual deposition may have covered areas of material culture not normally associated with
such an activity.
A. Tasker, I.P. Wilkinson, M. Williams, M. Morris, N.J. Cooper and M.G. Fulford:
Provenance of Chalk Tesserae from a Roman Town-House in Vine Street, Leicester
Fourth-century A.D. chalk tesserae from Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltavorum) yield rich
microfossil assemblages that identify a biostratigraphical age of Cretaceous Late Cenomanian
to Early Turonian. The nearest chalk outcrops to Leicester lie in Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire,
Yorkshire and north Norfolk, indicating that the material for the tesserae must have been
sourced remotely and transported to Ratae. Superimposing the Roman road network onto a
map of the relevant Chalk Group distribution provides a guide to possible sources. A process
of evaluation identifies Baldock in Hertfordshire and Bridlington in Yorkshire as the most
likely sources for the Leicester tesserae.