More information : (TL 158977). A campaign-fortress of 27 acres with timber buildings, accommodating a Legionary Vexillation together with auxiliary troops, was excavated between 1967 and 1973 at Longthorpe. It was succeeded by an 11 acre fort which made use of existing buildings.
The fortress might have been established as early as circa 44-5, and there is evidence of occupation to circa 60, it being possible that the legionary fortress at Lincoln was not established before this date. The fort does not produce evidence of occupation substantially later than 60. A possible explanation is that it was troops of the Legion IX from Longthorpe which in AD 60-61 were defeated by Boadicca at Colchester, this necessitating the reduction in size of the fortress as an emergency measure before replacement troops arrived in 61 from Germany. See illustrations. (1)
Brief description. (2)
A final season of excavation took place in August 1973. The area examined was in the western field, in the praetentura of the fortress. Two barrack blocks were found, west of two further
buildings that were not barracks. The south barrack block is very irregular and contains 14 sets of rooms and the finds suggest that the garrison consisted of a vexillation of Legion IX. Wacher (4) suggests that "the extraordinarily contorted barrack" might have been built by "less skilled legionaries trying to put together a prefabricated building and getting the sections inextricably
muddled". (4)
Some 300m east of the site excavation has revealed a contemporary military pottery-works (TL 19 NE 92). An Anglo-Saxon cemetery (TL 19 NE 91) occupies part of the NW corner of the fortress.(5)
The dating of both periods of occupation is AD 44/8 until AD 61/2 and it is not possible to refine the construction date of the smaller fort within this time span. (6)
Additional reference (7)
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