Roman BritainUnenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall
Roman Settlement · Civilian

Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-18073
Site type
Settlement
Category
Civilian
Latitude
55.5255
Longitude
-2.1719
Overview

History & context

This site lies in the Cheviot fringes of northern Northumberland/Scottish Borders, comprising an unenclosed settlement integrated with a cord-rig and terraced field system, an aggregated Romano-British village of stone-founded round-houses, and a later group of shielings reusing the ground. The settlement was likely active from the late Iron Age through the Roman period (roughly 1st–4th centuries AD), representing the typical sequence in this upland zone where earlier defended enclosures gave way to more open agglomerations under the Pax Romana.

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

Significance

Historical significance

It is one of many small native farming communities in the hinterland of Hadrian's Wall and the Dere Street corridor, contributing pastoral and arable produce to a landscape that supplied the Roman military zone. The superimposition of medieval shielings demonstrates long-term continuity of seasonal upland exploitation rather than any particular administrative or military prominence.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Knowledge derives almost entirely from earthwork survey (RCAHMS/Historic Environment Scotland or Northumberland NMR records) showing hut circles, yards, lynchets and rig, with no recorded modern excavation at this specific site. Diagnostic finds are not on record, and dating rests on morphological parallels with excavated sites such as those on the Cheviot slopes (e.g. Hartburn, Knock Hill, or comparable upland clusters).

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall?

This site lies in the Cheviot fringes of northern Northumberland/Scottish Borders, comprising an unenclosed settlement integrated with a cord-rig and terraced field system, an aggregated Romano-British village of stone-founded round-houses, and a later group of shielings reusing the ground. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a settlement site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall?

Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall is classified as a Roman settlement — 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 Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Romano-British settlement 810m south east of Whitehall (0.3 km), Roman period native enclosed settlement 480m north of Sutherland Bridge (0.5 km), Roman period native enclosed settlement 460m north of Sutherland Bridge (0.6 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 Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall?

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Research the area around Unenclosed settlement, part of a field system, Romano-British aggregate village and group of shielings, 470m south east of Whitehall