More information : [SE 600516] A Roman civil town, later a Colonia, situated S.W. of the Ouse, the defences followed in part by the mediaeval wall. Remains of massive walling have been found at 5968 5162, 5973 5173 and 5981 5180, and numerous buildings have been excavated.(1)
The civilian settlement at York was built on the South East bank of the River Ouse, probably from the early C2nd, and a probable visit by Hadrian in AD 122 may have provided the stimulus for rapid growth and the construction of public buildings and private houses.
The promotion of York to Colonial status probably occured under Caracalla in the early C3rd and certainly by AD 237. York may already have possessed the rank of Municipium prior to its promotion.
After the middle of the C4th archaeological evidence indicates a period of decline as buildings and streets fell into disrepair, possibly caused by civil unrest and the continuous demands of Imperial usurpers for garrisoned troops. (2-3) |