Othona

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Othona was part of the chain of fortresses on the English section of the Saxon Shore. Larger research campaigns took place in the late 19th century and in the middle of the 20th century.

Location and Function

The site is situated in the County ( county) of Essex, Maldon District, on the territory of the municipality Bradwell -on-Sea, about nine kilometers northeast of Southminster and 30 km east of Chelmsford ( the Roman Caesaromagus ). Othonas location on the edge of the Dengie Peninsula was ideal for the control of the mouth of the Blackwater in the Colne; The latter also happens Camulodunum, now Colchester. The fort was thus applied strategically very favorable, since could be stifled from here incursions of pirates and marauders in the bud. Perhaps the fort also served as a port and supply base of the Roman Channel Fleet.

Name

The meaning of the name Othona is unclear. Some attribute it to the Emperor Otho, as the British Saxon Shore forts but invariably only towards the end of the 3rd century AD were built, this theory is unlikely. In the Notitia Dignitatum the base is called Othonae. Unfortunately, also no inscriptions or other written sources are known which might give clues about the history of this fort. After withdrawal of the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons called the place Ythancester, the name derived probably from the ancient castle name.

History of Research

The remains of the fort were discovered in 1864 by Oxley Parker. Parker dug trenches also search inside the fort, but was able to find any traces of ancient buildings. Other results of his excavations are unknown. 1947, Brinson to a search ditch on the west wall. When an inspection of the fort site and its immediate surroundings was raised how far the destruction was already advanced and which archaeological potential for future studies, the reference had to have. Later geophysical surveys showed that the destruction of the foundations were not so serious as feared. Additional geophysical surveys and excavations are planned for the future.

The finds from the fort consisted primarily of fibulae from the 1st century, bangles, Roman and Anglo-Saxon iron objects, a fragment of a stamped hollow brick, a gold ring with an onyx cameo and coins as the construction of the fort during the reign of Carausius be likely. Stone material of the fort wall was found partially also in the shore silt, together with Roman pottery, terra sigillata, called Nene Valley Ware and tile fragments.

In total, over 200 coins of Gallienus were recovered to Arcadius, many also come from the time of Constantine, but most of the reign of Carausius. The ceramic originates in the majority also from this period, a few seem to have been made ​​in the 2nd century AD, including a cloak pin that was found in the fort area. Most of the finds from the fort are preserved in Colchester Museum.

Development

In his chronicle of the second half of the 4th century AD Eutropius reports that the Fleet Admiral Carausius got around 285 AD the order, the English Channel from Portus Itius ( Boulogne ) from pacify the pirates made ​​of unsafe was that Eutropius called "Franken " and "Saxons". The case mentioned raids on the Britannic and Gallic coast handicapped in the increasingly to civilian maritime and especially the transfer of Britannic commodities and precious metals to Gaul and Rome. Due to the increasing exposure to these pirates organized Carausius, later the founder and ruler ( usurper ) of the so-called " Britannic Empire Special ", about the year 287 the defense of the British Channel coast again. Through new or reconstruction of existing plants he created and his successor Allectus gradually a dense chain of partially strongly fortified castles, which also Othona was included. Another reason for the expansion of the fortification line on the English Channel was certainly the fear of an invasion of the Roman central government. When the Roman army under Flavius ​​Stilicho 398 in Britain was militarily active again, taught the Roman administration on both sides of the channel a separate military district, the litus saxonicum ( Saxon Shore ) a, whose troops were commanded in Britain by a Comes Litoris Saxonici by Britanniam. Around this time, this was likely to find for the first time entrance into the troops of the Notitia lists Dignitatum. The widely branched river system Britain allowed the Germanic invaders, quickly move ahead with their small flat-bottomed rowing boats into the interior of the island. The fortifications were probably also with the Roman military camps in the Gallic part of the litus saxonicum in conjunction.

Cedd, a missionary and bishop of the eastern Saxony, founded in the year 653 on the former fort area a monastery, from which today the chapel of St. Peter on the Wall can be seen. Large amounts of their building material ( brick, limestone) are from the fort and can be found everywhere in her ashlar masonry. From this monastery from Essex was also Christianized. There are indications that a flood has destroyed a large part of the fort in November 1099. The ramparts on the west side stood still until the 17th century and was described by Philemon Holland in the edition of William Camden's Britain as a huge ruin.

Fort

From the castle a few remains are now only make out only the early medieval St. Peter's Chapel, which stands on the foundations of the West Gate, highlights the archaeological site. About two meters of Südwalles have survived even among a small group of trees and brambles. Since most of the land is farmed intensively around the Chapel, the destruction of the last vestiges of the castle continues.

The camp is typical n of its construction forth for the late 3rd century BC, probably it was built during or shortly before the usurpation of Carausius. The retrieved on site coin and pottery dated to the period 280-468 AD The Münzspektrum extends from the reign of Gallienus to that of Honorius, but most of them carry the portrait of Carausius. During this period, the castles at Dover, lymph and Burgh Castle were built. Robin George Collingwood described the castle in the 1930s as follows:

" The embankments have completely disappeared; the west wall is 522 feet long, the northern and southern probably 290 or 150 feet, both of which end abruptly at the river bank. The fort area, originally slightly larger, now includes about 4 acres, how big it was originally is no longer observed. The walls were 12 feet thick at the base and are still about 4 feet tall obtained. On the outside triple Brick strips run along. The fort corners are rounded obvious, but the oval intermediate towers were probably built at the same time with the wall. There was a gate on the west side, the remains of a defensive ditch are still visible. "

The later excavations confirmed the trapezoidal plan of the defense system, which can still be seen well in the north, south and west. Presumably, the fort had actually - as in Garrianonum - still the classic, rounded corners ( game card form). The east side has been completely eroded by the tides, only a few remnants of masonry are still visible. The foundation walls preserved today comprise an area of approximately two hectares, but the castle must have been even larger. The defensive wall was largely pulled reclaimed stone material from the spot and provided with tripartite brick bands. The walls were supported by an inner earth ramp. A search interface in Südwall revealed a thickness of about 4.2 m. The somewhat broader foundations were bricked very massive and consisted of densely packed, mortared fraction and field stones. As a further consequence could also see the remains of some - horseshoe-shaped projecting from the wall - towers are observed: one in the northwest corner, the second between the former and the St. Peter 's Chapel and one copy is in the southwest corner. In addition, the remains of an inner earth ramp and traces of an encircling trench Spitz, was discovered in the backfill and Others pottery from Anglo -Saxon times, were detected. The best of the ditch can still be seen in the West. The crew barracks are suspected in the northwestern sector of the camp grounds.

Garrison

According to the Notitia Dignitatum was a unit of limitanei, the numerical Fortensium ( the brave ) under the command of the Comes Litoris Saxonici by Britanniam (translated: " Count of the Saxon Shore in Britain " ) in Othonae as garrison troops. Fort commander was an officer of the rank of Praepositus.

Road links

Access to the fort from the mainland took place on a road on the east side of the fort, but which is now completely disappeared in the sea. There is also evidence that a Roman road from the shores of Othona Crouch was created near Battlesbridge, there is united with another road which then led to a major Roman settlement on Foulness Iceland. Then continued to follow the course of the Crouch and met at Brentwood on a north-south running main road.