Moribum (Piercebridge) Vicus
Minor Settlement
The Piercebridge Roman Settlement – The Roman road Dere Street passes through the Piercebridge area from north to south and runs through a field known as the Tofts to the east of the Piercebridge fort, a minor road runs west for a distance of some 500 feet from the main road to connect directly with the east gateway of the fort; another road similarly branches eastwards off the Dere Street a little way to the north. The stone foundations of many long, rectangular buildings with their narrow ends fronting onto these streets were visible as crop-marks over most of the field, an area of about 11 acres (c.4.4 ha); there are indications that the settlement extended into the field to the north. (JRS 1956 pp.82/3.)
The Epigraphic Evidence from Piercebridge
RIB1027 - Building inscription of Bellinus
The Roman Military at Piercebridge
RIB1025 - Building inscription of the Sixth Legion
RIB1026 - Funerary inscription for Gracilis
[...  ]RACILI
[...]INATO
[...]MAN SVPER
[...]G XXII AVRELIA
[...]ILLA CON
IVGI FACIEND
VM CVRAVIT
RIB1022 - Altar dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus of Doliche
DOLYCHEN[...]
IVL VALENTIN[...]
ORD GER SV[...]
EX IVSSV IPSIVS
POSVIT PRO SE ET
SVIS L L M
[...]AESENTE ET EXTRICATO II CO[...]
RIB1024 - Altar dedicated to Mars Condates
CONDATI
ATTONIVS
QVINTIANVS
MEN EṾỌC IMP
EX IVS SOL L A
RIB1023 - Inscription
No translation
[...] M P C C [...]
A Roman milestone is reputed to have been found just north of Piercebridge (at N.G.Ref. NZ2016), but I have no record of the text – I am presuming that RIB 1023 is the culprit.
“[…] M D O […] two hundred thousand paces […]”
(RIB 1023; milestone?)
References for Piercebridge
- Chronology of the Ancient World by E.J. Bickerman (Thames & Hudson, London, 1980);
- The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965);
- Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1951-5 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xlv (1956) pp.82-91;
Roman Roads near Piercebridge
Dere Street: N (9) to Binchester (Binchester, Durham) Dere Street: S (11) to Cataractonivm N (3) to Sandforth Moor