Roman Southampton

Description

The largest Roman settlement in Southampton, Clausentum, was founded soon after the invasion of AD 43 on a promontory on the east side of the River Itchen, an area now known as Bitterne Manor.

Clausentum became an important port, and excavations have revealed traces of a bath-house, warehouses, roadways and tracks, and defences in the form of banks and walls.

Evidence of trade links with the rest of the Roman Empire includes pottery, glass and metal objects. Similar finds have been made elsewhere in Southampton, including St Denys Church and Priory Road, and Lower High Street and York Buildings.

Clausentum seems to have been abandoned after the Romans withdrew from Britain in AD 410, although there is evidence that the defences were utilised by the Saxons in the 9th and 10th centuries.

A selection of Roman objects are available in a Handling Box, which can be taken out to schools by our Education Officer.

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