Dunstable
Roman Dunstable

Dunstable > Archaeology > Roman

Dunstable was called Durocobrivis by the Romans. It was situated on Watling Street one of the busiest roads in Britain. Watling Street runs from London through St. Albans to Dunstable. At Dunstable Watling Street crosses the Icknield Way (a much earlier prehistoric road).

Many wells, corn drying ovens and agricultural implements have been found in the area implying that Roman Dunstable was heavily employed in agriculture. It probably also served as a local market centre for the rural population.

House foundations, wells, ditches and pits of rubbish were found during excavations carried out in the town during 1963 and a cobbled road was found under what is now the Quadrant Centre. In one of the wells a silver finger ring was found which included a key as part of its design. Many animal remains were also found including the skeleton of a young Barbary ape, a species popular with the Romans as a household pet.

A Roman Cemetery was also found under Friary Field in the 1980's. Many of the people had objects buried with them including pottery and jewellery. One hundred and twelve skeletons were found of which 5 men, 6 women and a baby had been beheaded. Although this seems very gruesome it is not unusual for burials in Roman cemeteries at this time. It has been suggested that it was possibly some form of burial rite to stop the ghost of a person haunting the living. One young man was found buried with a pot with a Latin inscription which may have linked him to a religious cult of the goddess Cybele. Cybele was a goddess of Phygia (modern Turkey) who became very popular with aristocratic young Romans. Evidence from the pottery and coins date the burials to the fourth century.

Sources:

• Ancient Dunstable by C.L. Matthews
• The archaeology of the Chilterns edited by Keith Branigan
• Dunstable down the ages by Joan Schneider and Vivienne Evans

Further Reading:

• A Roman well at Dunstable in Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal, Vol. 7, 1972 by C.L. Matthews and J.B. Hutchings
• A Romano British inhumation cemetery at Dunstable in Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal, Vol. 15, 1981
• The excavation of a Roman inhumation cemetery at Dunstable in Manshead Archaeology, Vol. 25, 1979
• Survey of Bedfordshire, the Roman period by Angela Simco

Roman Dunstable, by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2005.

Page last updated: 24th January 2014