The North East’s Oldest Settlement Dates back to 3000BC

National World - LocalTV

Overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne in South Shields stands one of the most fascinating Roman sites in Britain.  Arbeia Roman Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site that once played a vital role in defending the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.

Transcript

00:00Overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne here in South Shield stands one of the most fascinating

00:04Roman sites in Britain, Arbia Roman Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that once played a vital role

00:11in defending the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Though not physically part of Hadrian's

00:16Wall, Arbia was an essential cog in its defensive system. From its strategic position of the river

00:21side, the fort controlled maritime access to the frontier and supplied grain and equipment to

00:26garrisons along the Wall, a logistical lifeline for Rome's northernmost soldiers. But Arbia's

00:33story began long before the Roman legions arrived. Evidence suggests that people settled here as far

00:39back as 3,000 to 4,000 BC. Archaeologists have excavated an Iron Age farmstead dating to around

00:46300 BC, highlighting the site's long history of human habitation. By the early 2nd century AD,

00:53the Romans had built a timber fort in the area, a structure that predates Hadrian's Wall itself,

01:00which was constructed in the beginning of 122 AD. This early fort was later replaced with a more

01:05permanent stone fort around 163 AD, housing 480 infantry soldiers and 120 cavalry. In 208 AD, a major

01:16shift took place. With Emperor Septimus Severus preparing for campaigns in Scotland, Arbia was

01:23transformed into a massive supply base. 13 large granaries were constructed, the fort expanded in

01:29size and walls were rebuilt to separate the storage zones from military quotas. A new headquarters building

01:35was shortly added after. Severus himself may have stayed at Arbia. At its peak, the fort stored grain and

01:42resources brought in by sea, not only from southern England but possibly the continent as well, for use

01:47across Hadrian's Wall and beyond. The early 3rd century saw further change. After Scotland was abandoned

01:54in 211 AD following Severus's death, Arbia's role as a supply hub continued. Around 222 AD, the garrison's

02:03accommodation was completely rebuilt. By the late 3rd or early 4th century, disaster struck and the fort was

02:09attacked and burned. The Romans rebuilt once more. Eight of the old granaries were converted back into

02:15barracks and a ground courtyard house was constructed, likely for the commanding officer. With formal dining

02:22rooms, a bath suite and private quarters, the house signalled both luxury and declining Roman standards

02:28as heating systems fell into disuse and rooms were abandoned in the following decades. At this time,

02:34Arbia received a new garrison, a unit of Tigris boatmen from modern-day Iraq.

02:39It was renamed Arbia, meaning place of the Arabs, replacing its earlier likely name Lugardunham.

02:46Even after the Roman Empire collapsed in Britain in the early 5th century, life at Arbia didn't

02:50immediately end. Excavations have revealed bones of two young people with weapon wounds,

02:55possibly victims of civil unrest or invasion.

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