BRITANNIA
A JOURNAL OF ROMANO-BRITISH AND KINDRED STUDIES
VOLUME 43 (2012)
CONTENTS
ARTICLES
GIL GAMBASH, To Rule a Ferocious Province: Roman Policy and the Aftermath of the
Boudican Revolt, 1–15
RACHEL MAIRS, ‘Interpreting’ at Vindolanda: Commercial and Linguistic Mediation in the
Roman Army, 17–28
DAVID HOPEWELL and NICK HODGSON, Further Work at Llanfor Roman Military
Complex, 29–44
PAUL BIDWELL, The Roman Fort at Bainbridge, Wensleydale: Excavations by B.R.
Hartley on the Principia and a Summary Account of Other Excavations and Surveys,
45–113
MIRANDA ALDHOUSE-GREEN, ‘Singing Stones’: Contexting Body-Language in
Romano-British Iconography, 115–134
BELINDA CRERAR, Contextualising Romano-British Lead Tanks: A Study in Design,
Destruction and Deposition, 135–166
ELLEN SWIFT, Object Biography, Re-use and Recycling in the Late to Post-Roman
Transition Period and Beyond: Rings made from Romano-British Bracelets, 167–215
ROGER BLAND, Gold for the Barbarians? Uniface Gold Medallions of the House of
Constantine Found in Britain and Ireland, 217–225
PHILIP RANCE, Epiphanius of Salamis and the Scotti: New Evidence for Late Roman-Irish
Relations, 227–242
NOTES
E. BLACK, J. EDGAR, K.M.J. HAYWARD and M. HENIG, A New Sculpture of Iphigenia
in Tauris, 243–249
MAGALI BAILLIOT and ROBERT SYMMONS, Note from the Roman Palace at
Fishbourne (Sussex): A Roman Magic Lead Figurine? 249–260
J.R.L. ALLEN, A Rhenish Pompeiian-style Mill from Early Roman Silchester (Calleva
Atrebatum), 260–268
WERNER LÜTKENHAUS, Observations on Zosimus’ British ‘Cities’, 268–270
ROMAN BRITAIN IN 2011
I Sites Explored by E.M. Chapman, F. Hunter, P. Wilson and P. Booth, 271–354
II Finds Reported under the Portable Antiquities Scheme by S. Worrell and J. Pearce, 355–
393
III Inscriptions by R.S.O. Tomlin, 395–421
REVIEW ARTICLES
RUTH WESTGATE, A Landmark in Mosaic Studies, 423–425
FRANÇOIS BARATTE, Late Roman Precious-Metal Deposits: Worth their Weight in Gold?
427–430
REVIEWS
ALLASON-JONES, L. (Ed.), Artefacts in Roman Britain: their Purpose and Use (by Fraser
Hunter), 431–432
BENNETT, P., I. RIDDLER and C. SPAREY-GREEN (Eds), The Roman Watermills and
Settlement at Ickham, Kent (by Kevin Greene), 432–433
BOOTH, P., A.-M. BINGHAM and S. LAWRENCE, The Roman Roadside Settlement at
Westhawk Farm, Ashford, Kent, Excavations 1998–9 (by Steven Willis), 433–434
BOOTH, P., A. SIMMONDS, A. BOYLE, S. CLOUGH, H.E.M. COOL and D. POOR, The
Late Roman Cemetery at Lankhills, Winchester: Excavations 2000–2005 (by Simon
Esmonde Cleary), 435–435
BRULET, R., F. VILVORDER and R. DELAGE, La Céramique romaine en Gaule du Nord.
Dictionnaire des céramiques. La vaisselle à large diffusion (by Jane Timby), 436–437
BURNHAM, B.C. and J.L. DAVIES (Eds), Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches (by
Paul Bidwell), 437–438
BUTLER, J. and V. RIDGEWAY, Secrets of the Gardens: Archaeologists Unearth the Lives
of Roman Londoners at Drapers’ Gardens (by Angela Wardle), 438–439
DIETLER, M., Archaeologies of Colonialism: Consumption, Entanglement, and Violence in
Ancient Mediterranean France (by Richard Hingley), 439–440
DORE, J.N., Haltonchesters: Excavations directed by J.P. Gillam at the Roman Fort, 1960–
61 (by Rob Collins), 440–441
DOYEN, J.-M., Economie, monnaie et société à Reims sous l’Empire romain. Recherches sur
la circulation monétaire en Gaule septentrionale intérieure (by Laurent Popovitch),
442–442
FULFORD, M. and A. CLARKE, Silchester: City in Transition. The Mid-Roman Occupation
of Insula IX c. A.D. 125–250/300. A Report on Excavations Undertaken since 1997 (by
Paul Booth), 443–444
HOBBS, R. and R. JACKSON, Roman Britain: Life at the Edge of Empire (by Richard
Reece), 444–445
RUSSELL, M. and S. LAYCOCK, UnRoman Britain: Exposing the Great Myth of Britannia
(by Richard Reece), 444–445
JACKSON, R., Cosmetic Sets of Late Iron Age and Roman Britain (by Quita Mould), 445–
446
JONES, A.E., Social Mobility in Late Antique Gaul: Strategies and Opportunities for the
Non-Elite (by Lucy Grig), 446–447
LAMBERT, M., Christians and Pagans. The Conversion of Britain from Alban to Bede (by
Michael J. Jones), 447–448
LEARY, J. and D. FIELD, The Story of Silbury Hill (by Richard Bradley), 448–449
MALTBY, M., Feeding a Roman Town: Environmental Evidence from Excavations in
Winchester, 1972–1985 (by Claire Ingrem), 449–450
MCGOWEN, S.L., Sacred and Civic Stone Monuments of the Northwest Roman Provinces
(by Kevin Hayward), 450–451
MOORE, A., G. TAYLOR, E. HARRIS, P. GIRDWOOD and L. SHIPLEY (Eds), TRAC
2009. Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology
Conference: Michigan and Southampton 2009 (by Andrew Gardner), 451–452
MORRIS, F.M., North Sea and Channel Connectivity during the Late Iron Age and Roman
Period (175/150 BC–AD 409) (by Martin Pitts), 453–454
MOSCHEK, W., Der Limes; Grenze des Imperium Romanorum (by Tony Wilmott), 454–
455
BECKENSALL, S., Empire Halts Here; Viewing the Heart of Hadrian’s Wall (by Tony
Wilmott), 454–455
DE LA BÉDOYÈRE, G., Hadrian’s Wall, History and Guide (by Tony Wilmott), 454–455
PALMER, S. and D. REILLY, Excavation of an Enigmatic Multi-period Site on the Isle of
Portland, Dorset (by John Manley), 455–455
PÉCHOUX, L., Les sanctuaires de périphérie urbaine en Gaule romaine (by Eleanor Ghey),
456–457
PRICE, E., Frocester: A Romano-British Settlement, its Antecedents and Successors. Volume
3: Excavations 1995–2009 (by Neil Holbrook), 457–458
SCHMID, S., Die römischen Fibeln aus Wien (by Nina Crummy), 458–459
TOMLIN, R.S.O., R.P. WRIGHT and M.W.C. HASSALL, The Roman Inscriptions of
Britain. Volume III. Inscriptions on Stone, found or notified between 1 January 1955
and 31 December 2006 (by Jonathan R.W. Prag), 459–461
WEGENER, R., Sauromatisches und sarmatisches Fundgut nordöstlich und östlich des
Kaspischen Meeres: Eine Bestandsaufnahme bisheriger Forschungen unter besonderer
Berücksichtigung der Waffengräber (by Heinrich Härke), 461–462
ZANT, J., The Carlisle Millennium Project, Excavations in Carlisle, 1998–2001, Volume 1:
Stratigraphy (by David J. Breeze), 462–463
HOWARD-DAVIS, C., Volume 2: The Finds (by David J. Breeze), 462–463
BRITANNIA 2012 ABSTRACTS
Gil Gambash: To Rule a Ferocious Province: Roman Policy and the Aftermath of the
Boudican Revolt
Official Roman action in the aftermath of the Boudican revolt is shown in this article to
reveal a strong, persistent intention to allay local anger. Under consideration are such aspects
as the Roman policy of official appointments in the region, the deployment of military forces,
and the commemoration of the victory over the rebel forces. The conclusion reached takes
issue with the widely prevailing view that Roman governance based itself mostly on
oppressive measures.
Rachel Mairs: ‘Interpreting’ at Vindolanda: Commercial and Linguistic Mediation in
the Roman Army
A fragmentary tablet from Vindolanda (Tab. Vindol. II, 213) contains an occurrence of the
verb interpretari (‘interpret’, ‘explain’, ‘mediate’) in an apparently commercial context,
relating to the grain supply for the Roman fort. This usage is paralleled in a text on a wooden
stilus tablet from Frisia in the Netherlands. ‘Interpreters’ and their activities make rather
infrequent appearances in the Latin epigraphic and documentary records. In the Danubian
provinces, interpreters (interpretes) are attested as army officers and officials in the office of
the provincial governor. ‘Interpreters’, in both Latin and Greek inscriptions and papyri, often,
however, play more ambiguous roles, not always connected with language-mediation, but
also, or instead, with mediation in commercial transactions.
David Hopewell and Nick Hodgson: Further Work at Llanfor Roman Military
Complex
Geophysical survey at Llanfor, near Bala, revealed two temporary camps and a large wooden
fort in exceptional detail. The camps are assumed to be evidence of an early Flavian invasion
force. The fort, which contained a garrison that probably comprised a complete ala of
auxiliary cavalry and a cohort of legionaries, is interpreted as a short-lived campaign base
that existed during the transition between invasion and consolidated occupation. Parallels are
drawn between Llanfor and similar forts in Britain and Germany.
Paul Bidwell: The Roman Fort at Bainbridge, Wensleydale: Excavations by B.R.
Hartley on the Principia and a Summary Account of Other Excavations and
Surveys
Occupation at Bainbridge began in the governorship of Agricola. Little is known of the first
fort; the visible remains represent a successor fort, established in c. A.D. 85 at the earliest,
abandoned under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, and reoccupied in c. A.D. 160. In the early
Severan period, the size of the unit at the fort seems to have been greatly reduced in numbers,
and a suite of rooms for an officer was inserted in the principia. Extensive work by cohors VI
Nerviorum which took place in c. A.D. 205–7 included the building of new principia, the
relocation of the east gate, and probably the addition of an annexe, its wall described in an
inscription from the site as a bracchium. The fort was held until the end of the Roman period,
by which time the principia had been partly demolished to provide space for a timber
building probably accommodating the commanding officer. The aedes and part of the rear
range seem to have stood until the ninth or tenth century, when the former was possibly
converted into a church. Knowledge of this sequence of occupation depends largely on the
results of Brian Hartley’s excavations which are published here. The main focus of the report
is on the remarkable series of principia, but a review of what is known of the overall
archaeology of the fort is also included in the main text. The Supplementary Material
(http://journals.cambridge.org/bri) contains a more detailed analysis of some of the other
excavations together with various specialist reports.
Miranda Aldhouse-Green: ‘Singing Stones’: Contexting Body-Language in RomanoBritish Iconography
Two stone sculptures from Caerwent — a disembodied human head and a seated female
figure — are the focus of this article. Using icon-theory, it is proposed that the Caerwent
sculptures (albeit recovered from different chronological horizons) were perhaps produced at
the same time, maybe even by a single stonemason. Issues of materiality, including choice of
stone and style, are seen as key to their understanding, in terms of Silurian identity and
religion. Moreover, the emphasis on mouths and ears invites interpretation of these images as
those of speaking and listening Oracles, conduits between earthly and spiritual worlds.
Belinda Crerar: Contextualising Romano-British Lead Tanks: A Study in Design,
Destruction and Deposition
Despite being an intriguing, if obscure, series of artefacts there has been a hesitancy in
academic discussion to address fully the myriad of questions raised by the design and
archaeological find-spots of lead tanks from Roman Britain. This, and an uncritical
acceptance that they were used by early Christians as baptismal fonts, has led to a lack of
appreciation of their contribution to our knowledge of late Romano-British religion. This
paper seeks to redress this via two channels. The first is a detailed and contextualised
examination of the design, iconography and manufacture of these tanks. The second is an
investigation into how the manner of their deposition can inform their function. It is
concluded that the evidence used to associate the tanks with baptism is flawed and greater
attention must be given to other facets of their design in order to gain an appreciation of their
proper place in the culture and religion of Roman Britain.
Ellen Swift: Object Biography, Re-use and Recycling in the Late to Post-Roman
Transition Period and Beyond: Rings made from Romano-British Bracelets
Documenting a phenomenon that has previously been overlooked, this article examines the
later stages of object biography in relation to Romano-British bracelets, namely, their
modification and subsequent re-use as smaller rings. Re-use is shown to occur widely and is
particularly associated with the late fourth to early fifth centuries
A.D.,
with cut-down
bracelets also found in early Anglo-Saxon cemeteries. The making of smaller rings from late
Roman bracelets is demonstrated to be part of a wider phenomenon of re-use, repair and
recycling at the end of the Roman period in Britain, with attendant implications of cultural
and economic change. It is proposed that the transformation of these artefacts was
accompanied by changes in meaning which undermine the apparent continuity that is seen in
the extended lifespan of the original object. This in turn illuminates the way that wider
cultural norms were gradually eroded in the fifth century. Through the study of these artefacts
a new perspective is provided on the transition to post-Roman Britain and the relationship
between this and the early Anglo-Saxon period.
Roger Bland: Gold for the Barbarians? Uniface Gold Medallions of the House of
Constantine Found in Britain and Ireland
The paper discusses a hitherto neglected group of five uniface gold medallions in the name of
Constantine I and II, issued between c. A.D. 318 and 337, found in Britain and Ireland. These
have been found either beyond the frontier (three examples are from Ireland and one from
Scotland) or close to it (one example is from Cumbria). It is suggested that they may have
been produced as diplomatic gifts for peoples beyond the frontier or as payment for laeti.
Philip Rance: Epiphanius of Salamis and the Scotti: New Evidence for Late RomanIrish Relations
A survey of the written evidence for attacks by Scotti on fourth-century Roman Britain
provides a historical context for the introduction of two hitherto overlooked references to
Scotti in the works of Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis on Cyprus (c.
A.D.
315–403).
Examination of Epiphanius’ Ancoratus and Panarion confirms that he inserted the ethnonym
Σκόττοι into patristic source-material in the early 370s. These passages claim attention as
unique testimony to the Scotti in Greek literature and the second earliest witness to this term
in Roman sources. Their date prompts the conjecture that the barbarica conspiratio that beset
Britain in
A.D.
367–68/9 was a widely reported event even before its significance was
magnified by Theodosian dynastic propaganda.