Aballava
Encyclopedia
Aballava or Aballaba was a Roman
fort
on Hadrian's Wall
, between Petriana
(Stanwix
) to the east and Coggabata
(Drumburgh
) to the west. It is about one and a half miles south of the Solway Firth
, and its purpose was to guard the south end of two important Solway fords, the Peat Wath and the Sandwath, favourite routes for medieval border raiders.
The fort was an oblong, straddling the Wall, and measured 500 feet (152.4 m) north to south by 400 feet (121.9 m) east to west, occupying an area of 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Only the location of the eastern wall is known for certain. It is believed that it was built over the site of turret 71b. There is a fortified border church on the site built almost entirely of Roman stones, and it is believed that this stands on the site of the principia
of the fort.
There was a vicus
to the south-west of the fort, and it is believed that a cemetery existed to the south of the fort.
of Tungroram, followed by a mixed cavalry regiment called the First Cohort of Nerva’s Own Germans, one thousand strong. The third-century garrison was a mounted detachment (cuneus) of Frisians
, followed by an infantry detachment (numerus
) of Aurelian Moors
.
Two other forts were found on the same site, by aerial photography, in 1976 and 1977. The second fort, discovered in 1976, and excavated 13 years earlier, is thought to pre-date Hadrian's Wall. It has been claimed that this fort was an extension to the Stanegate
system of forts, but this is largely conjecture.
A small scale excavation 200 metres south of the fort undertaken by Headland Archaeology
uncovered a group of features associated with the vicus
. Features included post-pits for a substantial building, postholes and beamslots relating to other timber buildings and shallow ditches and gullies; all dated to the mid-2nd century. There was no evidence for the later 2nd and 3rd century occupation identified during the previous investigations, suggesting some discontinuity in the use of the site.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
on Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
, between Petriana
Petriana
Petriana was a Roman fort. It was the largest fort on Hadrian's Wall, and is now buried beneath the village of Stanwix, Cumbria, England.-Roman name:...
(Stanwix
Stanwix
Stanwix is a district of Carlisle, Cumbria in North West England. It is located on the north side of River Eden, across from Carlisle city centre. Although long counted as a suburb it did not officially become part of the city until 1912 when part of the civil parish of Stanwix became part of the...
) to the east and Coggabata
Coggabata
Coggabata, or Congavata / Concavata, was a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall, between Aballava to the east and Mais to the west. It was built on a hill commanding views over the flatter land to the east and west and to the shore of the Solway Firth to the north...
(Drumburgh
Drumburgh
Drumburgh is a small settlement in Cumbria, England. It is northwest of the City of Carlisle and is on the course of Hadrian's Wall.It was the site of the Roman fort of Coggabata. In the 14th century a tower house known as Drumburgh Castle was built here. It was rebuilt as a fortified farmhouse...
) to the west. It is about one and a half miles south of the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
, and its purpose was to guard the south end of two important Solway fords, the Peat Wath and the Sandwath, favourite routes for medieval border raiders.
Description
The fort is five and a half miles west of Stanwix. The word 'Aballava' means 'Orchard'.The fort was an oblong, straddling the Wall, and measured 500 feet (152.4 m) north to south by 400 feet (121.9 m) east to west, occupying an area of 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Only the location of the eastern wall is known for certain. It is believed that it was built over the site of turret 71b. There is a fortified border church on the site built almost entirely of Roman stones, and it is believed that this stands on the site of the principia
Principia
Principia could refer to:*Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Isaac Newton's three-volume work containing explanations of his laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation*Principia , a stem-group coralline alga...
of the fort.
There was a vicus
Vicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
to the south-west of the fort, and it is believed that a cemetery existed to the south of the fort.
Garrison
The second-century garrison was the First AlaAla (Roman military)
An Ala was the term used during the mid- Roman Republic to denote a military formation composed of conscripts from the socii, Rome's Italian military allies. A normal consular army during this period consisted of 2 legions, composed of Roman citizens only, and 2 allied alae...
of Tungroram, followed by a mixed cavalry regiment called the First Cohort of Nerva’s Own Germans, one thousand strong. The third-century garrison was a mounted detachment (cuneus) of Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
, followed by an infantry detachment (numerus
Numerus
Numerus may refer to one of the following*Grammatical number*A military unit of 200–400 men, in the Roman EmpireSee also:*Roman numerals...
) of Aurelian Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
.
Excavations
Excavations were carried out in 1922, during which it was established that the fort straddled the Wall.Two other forts were found on the same site, by aerial photography, in 1976 and 1977. The second fort, discovered in 1976, and excavated 13 years earlier, is thought to pre-date Hadrian's Wall. It has been claimed that this fort was an extension to the Stanegate
Stanegate
The Stanegate, or "stone road" , was an important Roman road built in what is now northern England. It linked two forts that guarded important river crossings; Corstopitum in the east, situated on Dere Street, and Luguvalium in the west...
system of forts, but this is largely conjecture.
A small scale excavation 200 metres south of the fort undertaken by Headland Archaeology
Headland Archaeology
Headland Archaeology comprises a holding company Headland Group Ltd and the trading subsidiaries Headland Archaeology Ltd, Headland Archaeology Ltd and Archaeological Investigations Ltd....
uncovered a group of features associated with the vicus
Vicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
. Features included post-pits for a substantial building, postholes and beamslots relating to other timber buildings and shallow ditches and gullies; all dated to the mid-2nd century. There was no evidence for the later 2nd and 3rd century occupation identified during the previous investigations, suggesting some discontinuity in the use of the site.
External links
- Aballava at www.Roman-Britain.org
- Iromans a Tullie House Museum website Showing a selection of objects from Aballava