Verlamion, or Verlamio, was a settlement in Iron Age Britain. It was a major centre of the Catuvellauni tribe from about 20 BC until shortly after the Roman invasion of AD 43. It is associated with a particular king, Tasciovanus. [1] Its location was on Prae Hill, 2 km to the west of modern St Albans.
Etymology
The etymology is uncertain: perhaps the name means "settlement above the marsh", or "[settlement of] Uerulamos [Broad-Hand]" in Brittonic. [2] The elements *wer- and *lamā- meant "high" and "hand" respectively in Common Brittonic (*-i- is adjectival, denoting a place, and *-on is the usual o-stem neuter suffix). An alternative etymology may be guessed via back construction from modern Welsh, as bank of the (River) Ver, where Ver could mean short, or be a contracted form of Veru, or Berw, meaning a foaming or bubbling river (cf Berwyn). [3]
Iron age
It is believed that the tribal capital was moved to the site by Tasciovanus (around 25 to 5 BC). The location of the previous capital is not certain, but it is possible to speculate on the basis of documentary evidence ( Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico) and archaeological evidence for Iron Age sites in the area. One possible site was favoured by Sir Mortimer Wheeler, a feature called the Devil's Dyke a few miles to the north near Wheathampstead, which has been interpreted as part of the defences of a large oppidum bordering the River Lea. [4]
Tasciovanus was the first king to mint coins at Verlamion, beginning around 10 BC. There is evidence that the oppidum may have had a significant ritual function. [5]
Roman and later history
The Latinised name for the oppidum, and the Roman city which replaced it, was Verulamium. [6]
Local museum
Verulamium Museum, which mainly showcases Roman items, has a pre-Roman section. [7] [8]
See also
- Verulamium, under the Romans
References
- ^ Wacher, John. 1976, The Towns of Roman Britain, p. 202, both for Tasciovanus and the Catuvellauni.
- ^ Isaac, G. R., "Place-Names in Ptolemy's Geography: An electronic data base with etymological analysis of the Celtic name-elements (2004).
- ^ Banfield-Taylor, Jacqui (2012). The River Ver A Meander Through Time. Halsgrove. ISBN 978-0857041609.
-
^ "Devil's Dyke, Wheathampstead". Nature 140, 764. 1937.
doi:
10.1038/140764a0.
{{ cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=( help) - ^ Williamson, Tom. The Origins of Hertfordshire, Univ of Hertfordshire Press, 2010 ISBN 9781905313952
- ^ "Roman Britain - Organisation".
- ^ "Museum website". Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ Verulamium Museum Archived October 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, stalbansmuseums.org.uk
Further reading
Verlamion, or Verlamio, was a settlement in Iron Age Britain. It was a major centre of the Catuvellauni tribe from about 20 BC until shortly after the Roman invasion of AD 43. It is associated with a particular king, Tasciovanus. [1] Its location was on Prae Hill, 2 km to the west of modern St Albans.
Etymology
The etymology is uncertain: perhaps the name means "settlement above the marsh", or "[settlement of] Uerulamos [Broad-Hand]" in Brittonic. [2] The elements *wer- and *lamā- meant "high" and "hand" respectively in Common Brittonic (*-i- is adjectival, denoting a place, and *-on is the usual o-stem neuter suffix). An alternative etymology may be guessed via back construction from modern Welsh, as bank of the (River) Ver, where Ver could mean short, or be a contracted form of Veru, or Berw, meaning a foaming or bubbling river (cf Berwyn). [3]
Iron age
It is believed that the tribal capital was moved to the site by Tasciovanus (around 25 to 5 BC). The location of the previous capital is not certain, but it is possible to speculate on the basis of documentary evidence ( Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico) and archaeological evidence for Iron Age sites in the area. One possible site was favoured by Sir Mortimer Wheeler, a feature called the Devil's Dyke a few miles to the north near Wheathampstead, which has been interpreted as part of the defences of a large oppidum bordering the River Lea. [4]
Tasciovanus was the first king to mint coins at Verlamion, beginning around 10 BC. There is evidence that the oppidum may have had a significant ritual function. [5]
Roman and later history
The Latinised name for the oppidum, and the Roman city which replaced it, was Verulamium. [6]
Local museum
Verulamium Museum, which mainly showcases Roman items, has a pre-Roman section. [7] [8]
See also
- Verulamium, under the Romans
References
- ^ Wacher, John. 1976, The Towns of Roman Britain, p. 202, both for Tasciovanus and the Catuvellauni.
- ^ Isaac, G. R., "Place-Names in Ptolemy's Geography: An electronic data base with etymological analysis of the Celtic name-elements (2004).
- ^ Banfield-Taylor, Jacqui (2012). The River Ver A Meander Through Time. Halsgrove. ISBN 978-0857041609.
-
^ "Devil's Dyke, Wheathampstead". Nature 140, 764. 1937.
doi:
10.1038/140764a0.
{{ cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=( help) - ^ Williamson, Tom. The Origins of Hertfordshire, Univ of Hertfordshire Press, 2010 ISBN 9781905313952
- ^ "Roman Britain - Organisation".
- ^ "Museum website". Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ Verulamium Museum Archived October 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, stalbansmuseums.org.uk