Petuaria: Finding its Place in Roman Britain

Farley, Jonathan

Abstract

The site of Roman occupation under modern Brough on Humber, now identified as Petuaria, has drawn the attention of archaeologists for centuries. Over the course of investigations and writings on the site, there has been a multitude of theories created around it. These range between a lowly fort abandoned early into the Roman occupation, a thriving civitas capital for the region, and a naval base from which the Yorkshire coast was guarded against invaders.
This thesis sets out to collate and assess all previously recorded data from the environs of Petuaria and utilise them to produce key criteria through which the site may be understood. This comprises of a review of both literary and archaeological data produced on the site alongside a programme of community engagement and research carried out to further this archaeological record with personal collections of material from the town. In this, the research provides an overarching exploration of the data present at Petuaria, alongside comparable features to other sites, with the final goal of understanding the nature of the site and what role it played in its immediate context, Roman Britain, and beyond. This research has found Petuaria to be a site of much needed further interest but has determined that the site was occupied for a longer period and to a larger extent than previously thought. It is also more probable than not that the site is of a military purpose than an entirely civil occupation.

Citation

Farley, J. (2024). Petuaria: Finding its Place in Roman Britain. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5077741

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Mar 11, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Keywords: History
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5077741
• Additional Information: Department of History; University of Hull
• Award Date: Nov 5, 2024