Venta Belgarum
Venta Belgarum is the ancient name of the Roman city of Winchester in England. The city was the capital of the Civitas Belgarum. About the small river Itchen, the city was connected to the sea. Clausentum was the town belonging to the seaport.
Venta Belgarum was settled in the late Iron Age. From this period come embankments, which dated to the 2nd and 1st century BC. This colonization ceased around 50 BC to begin until about 100 years later. The Iron Age settlement likely belonged to the Celtic kingdom of the Atrebates. As this empire came under Roman rule, it was ruled by the vassal king Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, who had his capital at Chichester.
By 50 BC put an on the area of the later city construction. It mainly fortifications were built of wood and earth. After the death of Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, at the end of the 1st century AD, his little kingdom was reorganized and fully integrated into the Roman Empire. The site has now been expanded into a city that was the capital of the Civitas Belgarum and was given the name Venta Belgarum. During this time the city was completely rebuilt and received a checkerboard map and a city wall, are known from the previous four gates. In the center of a forum and a basilica was built. For more public buildings, however, there is little evidence. In the north- west of the city was a Celtic temple. So far also lack evidence for spas or theater. Except for a large villa in the south west of the city, is far too little of contiguous residential development known, but supported by numerous chance finds of mosaics a relative prosperity.
Outside the city walls, which were reinforced in the 4th century, there were considerable remains of suburbs and cemeteries. One of these was mainly in the 4th century in use, and the burials were rich in grave goods. These indicate the presence of a military unit at that time. In the Notitia Dignitatum a procurate gynaeci, Ventenisis ( administrator of the weaving Ventas ) is called. The place seems so clothes, and later of documents starting woolen clothing to have produced for the Roman military. From the city itself there is no evidence to this, however.
The city seems to have been gradually abandoned in the 5th century. There is little archaeological evidence for a continuous settlement to the early Middle Ages.