In Search of Durovernum: New Studies of Roman Canterbury

Abstract

The paper deals with the current state of research of Durovernum cantiacorum (Roman Canterbury). History of ancient Canterbury in many aspects remains unknown and unclear despite the decades of fruitful fieldwork. One of the reasons for this is an obscuring image of Durovernum that presents it as a typical Romano-British town, almost identical to other centers of provincial urbanism. The author suggests that a number of key points in history of Roman Canterbury needs to become objects for the critical re-thinking. In particular it is needed to investigate a context of the foundation of Iron Age settlement, to update our knowledge of the main phases of the urban development, to analyze the data that helps to reconstruct social history of Durovernum. Contemporary research of these topics (works by D. Holman, J. Weekes, L. Duffy and others) gives us hope that the appearance of a new, more detailed and nuanced history of Roman Canterbury will happen very soon.