More information : It has been suggested that Tintagel was a major Dumnonian royal seat until the 7th century and that its selection for this purpose in the early-mid 5th century had something to do with its status in the Roman period. It is likely to be the Romano-British Durocornovium. The name is contained (in a 7th century compilation- the Ravenna Cosmography) within a route sequence going west from Exeter. As Professors Leo Rivet and Colin Smith have suggested, with the exception of Exeter, all the places named in it must have been minor in Roman times. It is possible that they were derived from some earlier list kept for adminstrative purposes. If a recognised route ended here it would explain why, of the five Roman milestones found in Cornwall, one was discovered in 1889 in the entrance to the churchyard, and a second came from within a mile. The excavated finds include both post-Roman imports, locally made pottery of the 3rd and 4th century, coarse wares and a fourth century Oxfordware bowl. Thomas had noted that Tintagel was the site of a defended-promontory settlement, known in the area as `the fort (duro) of the Cornovii' which became in the later Roman period an administrative post for the enforced gathering of taxes in the long north Cornish farming belt and for other duties ie. customs due to its coastal location. (1)
A fire of the island in 1983 revealed a pattern of slate foundations, rectilinear in plan, post Roman pottery was also recovered. Excavations in 1986 located post-Roman occupation outside the ward on the east. No direct evidence for Roman occupation has been recorded although pottery was recovered. Post Roman pottery has been recorded within the vicinity of Site A and B, the Island Ward, and around the Iron Gate. The assemblage contains Mediteranean Imports probably representing one ship load the nature of which indicate Tintagel may have been a high status fortified secular settlement. The site appears to be occupied periodically. (2-4) Excavations in 1990 confirmed the presence of a terrace identified in 1984. Structures located include walls and a hard packed gravel surface associated with local and imported post-Roman pottery. A midden containing post-Roman pottery was also located. (5) |