| Magnis | |
|---|---|
_Roman_Fort_-_north_boundary%2c_and_Corvoran_Roman_Army_Museum_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1374187.jpg) Carvoran (Magna) Roman Fort - north boundary; and Corvoran Roman Army Museum | |
  Location inNorthumberland | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′06″N2°31′28″W / 54.9849°N 2.5244°W /54.9849; -2.5244 |
| Place name | Carvoran |
| County | Northumberland |
| Country | England |
| Reference | |
| UK-OSNG reference | NY665656 |
Magnis orMagna was aRomanfort nearHadrian's Wall in northernBritain. Its ruins are now known asCarvoran Roman Fort and are located near Carvoran,Northumberland, in northernEngland. It was built on theStanegate frontier and Roman road, linkingCoria (Corbridge) in the east toLuguvalium (Carlisle) in the west, before the building of Hadrian's Wall.
The fort is now the site of theRoman Army Museum.
The fort at Carvoran is generally identified with the 'Magnis' which appears both in theRavenna Cosmography and theNotitia Dignitatum.[1] Further evidence for the name comes from a fragmentary inscription (RIB 1825) apparently seen by the antiquaryWilliam Hutchinson in 1766 but which is now lost, which referred to "numerus Magne<c>e(n)s(ium)" ("of the unit of Magn[...] ....").[2][3] The name could be a Latinnominative formMagni, orMagna,[4] and the fort is today sometimes referred to under the name "Magna".[2] The name is rather inappropriate for a relatively small fort,[5] and one suggestion is that it could ultimately derive from theCeltic wordmaen meaning "stone" or "rock".[6][7]
The site was occupied by several earlier timber-built camps as revealed by aerial photography, and a large enclosure of just under 8 acres (c. 3.2ha) below the later walls. The earliest dateable evidence is from the end ofDomitian's reign (1st century).[8]
Magnis was built on theStanegate frontier in about 80 AD[9] to guard the junction of theMaiden Way Roman road (running north to south) with the Stanegate (running west to east). As such the fort predatesHadrian's Wall.
TheMaiden Way ran south from Magnis toBravoniacum (Kirkby Thore nearPenrith). An intermediate fort halfway between the two on the Maiden Way wasWhitley Castle or Epiacum, just north ofAlston, Cumbria.
Five hundredHamian archers, known asCohors Prima Hamiorum Sagittaria, the only regiment of archers known in Britain, were stationed at Magnis starting from 120 AD.[10]
Hadrian's wall was built from 122 only a few hundred yards north of the fort and itsVallum ditch was dug to the north of the fort, separating it from the Wall and the frontier zone. The vallum was also diverted much further north of the fort than needed with no apparent reason.[11] The fort was rebuilt in stone in 136-7 when theAntonine Wall was built. Further rebuilding was done at the end of the reign ofAntoninus Pius (c. 161) and after the withdrawal from the Antonine wall, the same garrison that had occupied it in Hadrianic times fort returned.[12]
A largevicus (civilian settlement) was located on at least three sides of the fort as revealed by geophysical survey.[13] It was identified by visitors to the remains including Horsley in 1732 and is also testified by many dedications to the god Vitiris.
Artifacts recovered at Magnis include a 2-foot-long (0.61 m) iron spearhead, found at a depth of 36 feet (11 m) in a well, and the well-knownmodius, a bronze grain-measure.[14]
The site is under the care of the Vindolanda Trust and has the same preservation layers of organic remains. Supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a five-year excavation began in 2023.[13]
Magnis is the location of theRoman Army Museum run by theVindolanda Trust. Like the museum atVindolanda, the Roman Army Museum was modernised and reopened in 2011. The museum illustrates frontier life on the northern edge of the Roman Empire. The museum displays genuine Roman artifacts including weapons and tools; life-size replicas; a 3D film showing Hadrian's Wall past and present, and a large timeline ofHadrian's Wall. There is a gallery devoted to the emperorHadrian himself. A large gallery describes daily life in the Roman army as seen through the eyes of a team of eight auxiliary soldiers, complete with a film showing their activities. Notable exhibits include a rare surviving helmet crest.[15]
Forts and structures ofHadrian's Wall | ||
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| Wall Forts (East to West) |   | |
| Outpost Forts | ||
| Stanegate Forts |
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| Supply Forts | ||
| Cumbrian Coast Forts (North to South) |
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| Milecastles | ||
| Milefortlets | ||
| Other structures on Hadrian's Wall | ||
| Regular and linear features | ||
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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