The Roman Wall: A historical, topographical, and descriptive account of the barrier of the lower isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway, deduced from numerous personal surveysBruce, J. Collingwood (John Collingwood)
History
The Roman Wall: A historical, topographical, and descriptive account of the barrier of the lower isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway, deduced from numerous personal surveys
Bruce, J. Collingwood (John Collingwood)
Great Britain -- Antiquities, Roman; Walls, Roman -- Great Britain
The minor antiquities consist of fragments of tiles, one of which bears
the stamp of the first cohort of the Spaniards, a bronze pot bearing a
marked resemblance to some which are in modern use, several earthenware
vessels of large size, and quite perfect, implements of iron, and
weapons of war. Amongst the coins which have been found in the station,
are a great many forged denarii of Trajan and Hadrian. They are chiefly
formed of lead, and are badly made; in some instances the metal has not
reached the centre of the mould, and in scarcely any have the edges of
the casting been properly dressed. Genuine coin must have been
exceedingly scarce among the soldiery of the camp, and their credulity
very great, to allow of the circulation of such base imitations.
[Sidenote: ANCIENT BARROW.]
A large artificial mound or barrow is to the left of the station. The
inhabitants had an old tradition respecting it; they conceived it to be
the sepulchre of a king. It was opened in 1763; near its centre ‘the
pole and shank bones of an ox’ were found, but neither urns, burnt
bones, nor coins, were discovered.
There is great uncertainty about the ancient name of this fort. Camden
pronounced it to be OLENACUM, chiefly influenced by the resemblance in
sound between it and the name of the neighbouring village of
Ellenborough (Maryport is but of recent origin). This supposition
gathers force from the fact that in ancient documents the river Ellen,
which gives name to the place, is written ‘Alne’ and ‘Olne.’
_PAPCASTLE_ is about six miles south-east of Maryport. Numerous relics
of antiquity have been found here, but little now remains to mark it out
as the site of a Roman station except its extraordinary fertility. The
town of Cockermouth, a mile to the south of the fort, is supposed to
have risen from its ruins.
The forts which we have already examined may be thought sufficient to
support the line of the Wall. The peculiar circumstances of its western
extremity will perhaps justify us in reckoning Moresby, notwithstanding
its distance from the Wall, among the out-stations of the Barrier. Not
only does the Scottish coast, by projecting considerably beyond the
western termination of the Wall, facilitate the invasion of the
intra-mural portion of the island—but Ireland, the native land of the
Scoto-Celts, is nigh at hand. It was necessary to prevent, not only the
inhabitants of Caledonia landing on the coast of Cumberland, but the
‘Scots,’ also, who at that time ‘poured out of Ireland.’ Another
sea-port station, south of Maryport, was therefore requisite.
[Sidenote: CAMP AT MORESBY.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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