The Roman Fort at Bainbridge, Wensleydale: Excavations by B.R. Hartley on the<i>Principia</i>and a Summary Account of Other Excavations and Surveys

Self Cite

This paper represents the final publication of excavations by Brian Hartley in the northern annexe of the Roman fort at Slack, West Yorkshire, carried out half a century ago, but still providing rare evidence for activity within an annexe and the nature of its defences. Hartley concluded that the annexe enclosed a civilian vicus of Trajanic–Hadrianic date, although its defensive enclosure was provided only in the Hadrianic period. This report upholds that conclusion. In the light of recent claims of later Roman occupation at Slack, Hartley's conclusion that the site was abandoned by c.a.d. 140 is examined and upheld. It is proposed that a second annexe at Slack enclosed the fort baths (and possibly a mansio) and by examining the Slack annexes in the context of other fort/annexe plans an attempt is made to distinguish between annexes enclosing fort vici and those enclosing official or military activities.

Section: Defencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 5 For the context of Slack within a ‘programme of research’ pursued by Hartley on the Pennine forts, see Bidwell 2012, 46.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Annexe of the Roman Fort at Slack, West Yorkshire: Excavations by B.R. Hartley in 1968–9

Bidwell¹,

Croom²,

Hodgson³

2018

Self Cite

The British Expedition of Septimius Severus

Hodgson¹

2014

Archaeological evidence has emerged over the last half century which helps shed light on the British expedition (A.D. 208-11) of the emperor Septimius Severus and his sons, famously but meagrely reported by the historians Cassius Dio and Herodian. Excavation at the Severan supply-base at South Shields, full publication of excavations of the 1960s and 1970s at the fortress of Carpow on the Tay, and more recently at Cramond, and recent work on the indigenous societies encountered by the Romans, all offer new perspectives. The archaeological evidence is reviewed in conjunction with the historical. A critical assessment is made of:(1) the widespread belief that personal or political considerations brought Severus to Britain rather than actual need for military intervention; (2) recent claims that the fortress at Carpow was founded earlier under Commodus (A.D. 180s) and abandoned even before the Severan expedition; (3) the widespread assumption that Severus wished to occupy Scotland permanently and thus be the first conqueror of the whole of Britain; (4) the prevailing view that Carpow and Cramond were abandoned and that all Roman activity in Scotland ceased abruptly on Severus' death in February 211, and that the campaigns brought about a period of peace in third-century Britain.

Editorial

Eckardt

2019

I n a break with tradition and to celebrate the journal's 50th anniversary, this editorial will be longer than usual; the first section contains some practical announcements as well as obituaries and notable birthdays, while the second presents an analysis of contributor data for Britannia, and some suggestions for the future direction of the journal. The most notable practical change concerns the Editorial Board's decision to transition to an electronic submission system from 2020. Further details will be made available in the Notes for Contributors, and contributors are of course still encouraged to direct enquiries to the Editor first. The electronic submission system will enable the board to share editorial tasks more easily, especially as this year will also see the retirement of our invaluable Publications Secretary Lynn Pitts. The transition has been made much easier by the support and help of the outgoing editor Barry Burnham, to whom we are most grateful. OBITUARIES AND CELEBRATIONS Each year the editorial reflects on the deaths of scholars who made important contributions to Romano-British studies. Jennifer Price died on 17 May aged 79; she was an internationally renowned archaeologist and expert in Roman glass. Jenny was trained at the University of Cardiff, worked as Keeper of Archaeology in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and taught in the Adult Education Department of Leeds University before moving to the University of Durham, where she earned a personal chair. Jenny's most notable publications include: the Council for British Archaeology Handbook of Romano-British Glass Vessels (with Sally Cottam) and Roman Vessel Glass from Excavations in Colchester 1971-85 (with Hilary Cool). To mark her retirement in 2005 the Association for the History of Glass organised a conference in Jenny's honour, the papers from which were subsequently published as Glass of the Roman World edited by Justine Bayley, Ian Freestone and Caroline Jackson. This is also an opportunity to celebrate notable birthdays. The 10th of December 2019 sees the 80th birthday of Sir Barry Cunliffe, who taught at the Universities of Bristol, Southampton and Oxford. Barry's work has transformed understanding of the first millennia B.C. and A.D., and as noted in the Festschrift for his retirement, 1 his research transcends traditional chronological, spatial and thematic boundaries. To readers of Britannia his work on the key Roman sites at Bath, Fishbourne, Lympne, Richborough and Portchester will be most familiar, but Barry also conducted major excavation campaigns at the Iron Age sites of Danebury, Hengistbury Head, in the Channel Islands and beyond. Richard Reece also celebrated his 80th birthday on 25 March 2019 (frontispiece). Richard was born in Cirencester, and while his first degree was in biochemistry, he had a long-standing interest 1