Gobannium
Encyclopedia
Gobannium was a Roman fort and civil settlement or Castra
established by the Roman legion
s invading what was to become Roman Wales and lies today under the market town
of Abergavenny
, Monmouthshire
in south east Wales
.
of the late 2nd century AD as 'Gobannio' sited some 12 miles from Burrium
, (modern Usk
) and 22 miles south of Magnis
(now Kenchester, Herefordshire). Gobannium is also mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmography
as 'Bannio', sited between Isca Augusta
the major legionary fortress covering South Wales
(Caerleon
) further down the River Usk
, and Bremia
(Llanio, Ceredigion
).
The name is thought to have a Celtic or Brythonic language
origin and linked to Gobannus
and Gofannon and may mean 'the place of the blacksmiths'.
surrounded by hills and mountains, such as the Sugar Loaf Mountain, Wales
, the Skirrid and the Blorenge
, just before the valley narrows and the site has some archaeological evidence of human activity dating from the British Iron Age
and earlier British Bronze Age. The valley was certainly used as a major prehistoric route through the land of the Silures
between the coastal plain of the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
and the Brecon Beacons
.
The invading Romans, under Publius Ostorius Scapula
, needed a suitable staging post at this site between their major legionary bases and a string of forts in the interior, such as Y Gaer, Brecon
and with links northwards to Watling Street
, eastwards to Blestium
(Monmouth
) and Glevum
(Gloucester
).
forming a steep incline above the nearby River Usk at a point where the smaller River Gavenny meets it - a naturally defensible site that may well have been settled or fortified previously and that commands clear views across the surrounding landscape. Level ground on the spur offered the scope for a fort layout and subsequently space for an additional civil settlement.
from the site include stamped roof tiles showing the stamp of the Legio II Augusta
, based at Isca Augusta
, well worn Roman currency
such as a coin from the Augustan
period, sixteen pieces of high status Samian ware pottery
sherd
s, items of bronze
military equipment compatible with Celtic Roman auxiliary troops
, plus rubbish pits.
The excavations
that have taken place have been small in scope and piecemeal, often in the face of redevelopment of buildings and amenities in the modern town centre. Digs in advance of the building of the new post office and telephone exchange in the centre of Abergavenny between 1962 and 1969 found evidence of a military ditch system, timber buildings with posthole
s, small granaries
for storing grain over winters and turf and timber ramparts. Further explorations over the years since 1970 have revealed wattle and daub
walling, clay sling
or sling shot ammunition and further rubbish pits.
Some of the artifacts recovered to date can be seen at Abergavenny Museum
within Abergavenny Castle
.
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...
established by the Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s invading what was to become Roman Wales and lies today under the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
in south east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Documentary evidence
Gobannium was first recorded in the Antonine ItineraryAntonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
of the late 2nd century AD as 'Gobannio' sited some 12 miles from Burrium
Burrium
Burrium was a legionary fortress in the Roman province of Britannia Superior or Roman Britain.Its remains today lie beneath the town of Usk in Monmouthshire....
, (modern Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
) and 22 miles south of Magnis
Magnis (Kenchester)
Magnis was a Romano-British town and an important market centre for the British Dobunni tribe, located near modern-day Kenchester in Herefordshire, England...
(now Kenchester, Herefordshire). Gobannium is also mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
as 'Bannio', sited between Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta was a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, the remains of which lie beneath parts of the present-day village of Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport in South Wales.-Name:...
the major legionary fortress covering South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
(Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
) further down the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, and Bremia
Bremia
Bremia is the name of the Roman fort in Llanio, West Wales. The fort was used by the Romans between AD 75 to AD 120 in Roman Wales. The fort was situated on Sarn Helen , a Roman road leading north from the fort at Dolaucothi. It has produced an inscription dedicated to a cohort from the Asturias,...
(Llanio, Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
).
The name is thought to have a Celtic or Brythonic language
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
origin and linked to Gobannus
Gobannus
Gobannus was a Gallo-Roman god, whose name, denoting "the smith", is normally taken to identify him as patron of smiths....
and Gofannon and may mean 'the place of the blacksmiths'.
Location
Gobannium lies in the broad valley of the River UskRiver Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
surrounded by hills and mountains, such as the Sugar Loaf Mountain, Wales
Sugar Loaf Mountain, Wales
Sugar Loaf, sometimes called The Sugar Loaf , is a mountain situated north-west of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is the most southern and lowest of the summit peaks of the Black Mountains, with a height of 1,955 feet ....
, the Skirrid and the Blorenge
Blorenge
The Blorenge or simply Blorenge is a prominent hill which overlooks the valley of the River Usk in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is situated in the southeastern corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The summit plateau reaches a height of ....
, just before the valley narrows and the site has some archaeological evidence of human activity dating from the British Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
and earlier British Bronze Age. The valley was certainly used as a major prehistoric route through the land of the Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
between the coastal plain of the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn estuary, either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales...
and the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
.
The invading Romans, under Publius Ostorius Scapula
Publius Ostorius Scapula
Publius Ostorius Scapula was a Roman statesman and general who governed Britain from 47 until his death, and was responsible for the defeat and capture of Caratacus.-Career:...
, needed a suitable staging post at this site between their major legionary bases and a string of forts in the interior, such as Y Gaer, Brecon
Y Gaer, Brecon
Y Gaer, Brecon is a Roman fort situated near modern day Brecon in Mid Wales, United Kingdom.Y Gaer is located at .- History :...
and with links northwards to Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
, eastwards to Blestium
Blestium
Blestium was a small town and probable fort in Roman Wales within the Roman province of Britannia Superior, part of Roman Britain...
(Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
) and Glevum
Glevum
Glevum was a Roman fort in Roman Britain that become "colonia" of retired legionaries in AD 97. Today it is known as Gloucester, located in the English county of Gloucestershire...
(Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
).
Site
The Romans selected a spurSpur (mountain)
A spur is a subsidiary summit of a hill or mountain. By definition, spurs have low topographic prominence, as they are lower than their parent summit and are closely connected to them on the same ridgeline...
forming a steep incline above the nearby River Usk at a point where the smaller River Gavenny meets it - a naturally defensible site that may well have been settled or fortified previously and that commands clear views across the surrounding landscape. Level ground on the spur offered the scope for a fort layout and subsequently space for an additional civil settlement.
Artifacts and excavations
ArtifactsArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
from the site include stamped roof tiles showing the stamp of the Legio II Augusta
Legio II Augusta
Legio secunda Augusta , was a Roman legion, levied by Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus in 43 BC, and still operative in Britannia in the 4th century...
, based at Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta was a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, the remains of which lie beneath parts of the present-day village of Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport in South Wales.-Name:...
, well worn Roman currency
Roman currency
The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
such as a coin from the Augustan
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
period, sixteen pieces of high status Samian ware pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
sherd
Sherd
In archaeology, a sherd is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels as well....
s, items of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
military equipment compatible with Celtic Roman auxiliary troops
Roman auxiliaries in Britain
The overall size of the Roman forces in Roman Britain grew from about 40,000 in the mid 1st century AD to a maximum of about 55,000 in the mid 2nd century. But the proportion of auxiliaries in Britain grew from about 50% before 69 AD to over 70% in c. 150 AD. By mid 2nd century, there were about 70...
, plus rubbish pits.
The excavations
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
that have taken place have been small in scope and piecemeal, often in the face of redevelopment of buildings and amenities in the modern town centre. Digs in advance of the building of the new post office and telephone exchange in the centre of Abergavenny between 1962 and 1969 found evidence of a military ditch system, timber buildings with posthole
Posthole
In archaeology a posthole is a cut feature used to hold a surface timber or stone. They are usually much deeper than they are wide although truncation may not make this apparent....
s, small granaries
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
for storing grain over winters and turf and timber ramparts. Further explorations over the years since 1970 have revealed wattle and daub
Wattle and daub
Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw...
walling, clay sling
Sling (weapon)
A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone or lead "sling-bullet". It is also known as the shepherd's sling....
or sling shot ammunition and further rubbish pits.
Some of the artifacts recovered to date can be seen at Abergavenny Museum
Abergavenny Museum
Abergavenny Museum is a museum situated in the grounds of Abergavenny Castle, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, south east Wales.The museum is housed in the square 'keep' on the high point of the castle motte, in the hunting lodge built for the Marquess of Abergavenny in 1819 on the site...
within Abergavenny Castle
Abergavenny Castle
Abergavenny Castle is a castle in the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.- A naturally fortified site :The castle was sited above the River Usk overlooking the river valley and the confluence of the rivers Gavenny and Usk. The site would have been naturally defensible in...
.