Roman BritainBrantingham
Roman Villa · Civilian

Brantingham

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 79348
Site type
Villa
Category
Civilian
Latitude
53.7521
Longitude
-0.5758
Overview

History & context

Brantingham is a Romano-British villa situated on the southern dip-slope of the Yorkshire Wolds, overlooking the Humber estuary roughly 10 km west of Brough-on-Humber (Petuaria). The villa appears to have flourished in the 4th century AD, with a substantial winged-corridor or courtyard plan, and is best known for its remarkable suite of mosaic pavements indicating a wealthy late-Roman owner.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The villa is one of the most northerly examples of a high-status, mosaic-rich late-Roman residence in Britain, suggesting that elite rural display extended into the territory of the Parisi and was probably linked to the prosperity of nearby Petuaria and the Humber trade. Its mosaics are central to debates about a "Yorkshire school" of mosaicists operating in the 4th century.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Excavations in 1941 and again in 1962 (by I.M. Stead and others, following discovery during quarrying) revealed parts of a stone-built villa complex with at least nine mosaic floors, including the celebrated Tyche/female-bust pavement showing a turreted city-goddess flanked by nymphs in roundels, and a geometric mosaic with cantharus motifs. The structural plan was only partially recovered, and much of the site has been damaged by chalk quarrying; the principal mosaics are now held by Hull and East Riding Museum.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Brantingham?

Brantingham is a Romano-British villa situated on the southern dip-slope of the Yorkshire Wolds, overlooking the Humber estuary roughly 10 km west of Brough-on-Humber (Petuaria). It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a villa site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Brantingham?

Brantingham is classified as a Roman villa — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Brantingham?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Romano-British villa at Cockle Pits, near Brantingham (1 km), Brough Petuaria Roman settlement (2.6 km), *Petuaria (7.2 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Brantingham?

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