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{{Short description|Roman fort in Tyne & Wear, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox castle
|name = Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum
|location = [[Tyne and Wear]], [[England]], UK
|pushpin_map = United Kingdom Tyne and Wear
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Tyne and Wear]]
|image = Arbeia Roman Fort reconstructed gateway.jpg
|caption = Reconstructed gateway
|gridref = {{gbmappingsmall|NZ365679}}
|coordinates = {{Coord|55.004|-1.430|display=inline,title}}
}}
[[File:Plan Arbeia 210.jpg|thumb|Plan of fort in 210 AD]]
[[File:Praetorium Arbeia.jpg|thumb|The late Praetorium]]
[[File:Roman Fort, The Lawe, South Shields, Tyne and Wear - geograph.org.uk - 1416.jpg|thumb|300px|The site]]

'''Arbeia''' was a large [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[castra|fort]] in [[South Shields]], [[Tyne and Wear|Tyne & Wear]], [[England]], now ruined, and which has been partially reconstructed. It was first excavated in the 1870s. All modern buildings on the site were cleared in the 1970s. It is managed by [[North East Museums]] as '''Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort'''.

==Name==
"Arbeia" may mean the "fort of the [[Arab]] troops",<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wtohAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Arbeia%22+arab|title=Archaeologia Aeliana: Or, Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquities|date=2005|publisher=Sarah Hodgson.|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Hallowell|first=Michael J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6oqIAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT42|title=The House That Jack Built: The True Story Behind the Marsden Grotto and the Search for Roman Treasure|date=2008-11-15|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|isbn=978-1-4456-3147-9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kirkup|first=Rob|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Eu86AwAAQBAJ&q=%22Arbeia%22%20arab&pg=PT15|title=Ghostly Tyne & Wear|date=2009-05-05|publisher=History Press|isbn=978-0-7509-5241-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Handbook to the Roman Wall|last=Bruce|first=John|publisher=Society of Antiquaries|year=2006|location=Newcastle Upon Tyne}}</ref> referring to the fact that part of its garrison at one time was a squadron of [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)|Mesopotamian]] boatmen from the [[Tigris]], following Emperor [[Septimius Severus]] securing the city of [[Singara]] in 197.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bowersock|first=Glen|title=Roman Arabia|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1983}}</ref>

Alternatively, it could mean "(fort by a) stream noted for wild [[turnip]]s".<ref>[[Andrew Breeze|Breeze, A.]], University of Navarra, Spain, "[[John Leland (antiquary)|John Leland]]'s ''Caer Urfe'': Tynemouth or Chepstow?" in ''{{ill|Voprosy onomastiki|ru|Вопросы ономастики}}'', 2017, Volume 14, Issue 1, pp. 56–65, {{doi|10.15826/vopr_onom.2017.14.1.003}}</ref>

== History ==

The fort was built in 129 AD as a small cohort fort, a few years later than most of the Hadrian's Wall forts, on the Lawe Top overlooking the mouth of the [[River Tyne]] and four miles beyond the eastern end of Hadrian’s wall, from where it guarded the flank and main sea supply route to the Wall and the small port on the south of the Tyne.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Forty |first=Simon |title=Hadrian's Wall From Construction to World Heritage Site |publisher=Haynes Publishing |date=June 2018 |isbn=9781785211898 |location=Yeovil, Somerset |pages=52}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/arbeia/about|title=About Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort {{!}} Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort|website=www.northeastmuseums.org.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-05-25}}</ref>

Its garrison was reduced during the occupation of Scotland in the reign of [[Antoninus Pius]]. Early in [[Marcus Aurelius]]'s reign (161 to 180) it was reoccupied<ref>Dore, J. N. and Gillam, J. Pearson. (1979) The Roman fort at South Shields Tyne & Wear: excavations 1875–1975, Soc Antiq Newcastle upon Tyne Monogr Ser, 1979 Volume:1</ref> and from 198 it was considerably altered in plan and usage. A dividing wall between the northern and southern halves of the fort allowed the north part to store supplies from sea-going ships, while the southern part remained a garrison. The modifications are associated with [[Septimius Severus]]' [[Roman invasion of Caledonia (208–211)]], a series of campaigns against the troublesome Caledonian tribes, in which the fort may have served as his headquarters.<ref name=":0" />

From 220-235 a new ''principia'' (headquarters) with new barracks were built in the southern part of the fort, probably to house the new garrison of ''Cohors V Gallorum'' of double size (nominally 1000 men) while the original principia were converted to a granary and 9 more granaries were built in the southern part of the fort, bringing the total to 24. Most forts had two granaries but Arbeia had up to 24, indicating that it supplied more than its own troops.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Feeding the army|journal=Archaeology|date=May–June 2017|volume=70|issue=3|page=33|url=https://www.archaeology.org/issues/255-1705/features/5473-feeding-the-army|access-date=26 January 2022|issn=0003-8113 }}</ref> It shows that Arbeia became the main supply base for the whole of Hadrian’s Wall rather than obtaining its supplies from the local region by purchase, taxation or requisition which was the usual assumption.

In later 3rd century occupants of the ''[[vicus]]'' appear to have moved into the empty fort.<ref>Dore, J. N. and Gillam, J. Pearson. (1979) The Roman fort at South Shields Tyne & Wear: excavations 1875–1975, Soc Antiq Newcastle upon Tyne Monogr Ser, 1979 Volume:1</ref>

After a fire in about 300, 8 of the granaries were converted to barracks, the ''principia'' were enlarged and a new large ''[[praetorium]]'' (commanding officer’s house) built. The fort was finally abandoned around 400.

It is said to be the birthplace of the Northumbrian [[Oswine of Deira|King Oswin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/arbeia/about|title=About Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort {{!}} Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort|website=www.northeastmuseums.org.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-05-25}}</ref>

When the fort was unexpectedly discovered in 1875 by an unknown amateur it made national news as the numerous finds near the centre of a Northern industrial town were of a quality that shocked archaeologists who found it hard to believe such a site could yield these treasures. The Roman remains attracted crowds that flocked to the town and despite some believing that they were forgeries, further excavations proved that it was a sensational archaeological discovery.<ref>David Kidd and Jean Stokes, The People’s Roman Remains Park, Harton Village Press ISBN 9781838310004 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/how-roman-finds-south-shields-19565255</ref>

==Garrison==

The ''[[Ala I Pannoniorum|Ala Primae Pannoniorum Sabiniana]]'' was the first garrison, a nominally 500-strong cavalry regiment from the [[Pannonia]]n tribes of modern Hungary. When they were transferred to [[Onnum]] later in the 2nd century, another cavalry regiment replaced them, the ''[[Ala I Hispanorum Asturum]]''<ref>RIB 1064</ref> from the [[Astures]] tribe of north-western Spain. After it moved to [[Condercum|Benwell]], they were replaced before 222 by the ''[[Cohors V Gallorum]]'', a nominally one-thousand strong infantry regiment possibly from Fort Cramond on the Forth.<ref>South Shield (Arbeia) Roman Fort https://www.roman-britain.co.uk/places/arbeia-roman-fort/</ref>

The final garrison was the ''[[Numerus Barcariorum Tigrisiensium]]'' who were transferred from [[Lancaster Roman Fort]]<ref>Richmond, Ian (1953). "Excavations on the site of the Roman Fort at Lancaster, 1950" (PDF). Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. 105: p 11</ref> and originally barge-men from the River [[Tigris]] in the Middle-East recorded in the [[Notitia Dignitatum]].

==Praetorium==

The later commanding officer’s house built after 300 resembled elegant 3rd and 4th century houses from the Mediterranean area and included an ''atrium'' at the entrance leading to a colonnaded courtyard with fountain around which most of the rooms were organised. Many of the rooms were decorated with frescoes. A private thermal baths suite included hypocausts for the heated rooms.

== Museum ==
[[File:Wall painting at Arbeia Roman Fort.JPG|thumb|Recreated wall painting from the ''Praetorium'']]
[[File:Helmet cheek.jpg|thumb|Bronze helmet cheek from the Tyne at South Shields (Newcastle museum) depicting the [[Dioscuri]]]]

Two monuments in the museum at Arbeia testify to the cosmopolitan nature of its shifting population. One commemorate Regina, a British woman of the [[Catuvellauni]] tribe (approximately modern [[Hertfordshire]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/britain-back-to-barracks-in-roman-tyne-and-wear-1296796.html|title = Britain: Back to barracks in Roman Tyne and Wear| website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |date = 23 October 2011}}</ref> She was first the slave, then the freedwoman and wife of Barates, an Arab merchant from [[Palmyra]] (now part of [[Syria]]) who, evidently missing her greatly, set up a gravestone after she died at the age of 30 in the second half of the second century.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carroll |first=Maureen |date=2012 |title=' The Insignia of Women ': Dress, Gender and Identity on the Roman Funerary Monument of Regina from Arbeia |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00665983.2012.11020916 |journal=Archaeological Journal |language=en |volume=169 |issue=1 |pages=281–285 |doi=10.1080/00665983.2012.11020916 |issn=0066-5983|url-access=subscription }}</ref> (Barates himself is buried at the nearby fort at [[Coria (Corbridge)|Corbridge]] in Northumberland.) The second commemorates Victor, another former slave,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/britain-back-to-barracks-in-roman-tyne-and-wear-1296796.html|title = Britain: Back to barracks in Roman Tyne and Wear| website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |date = 23 October 2011}}</ref> freed by Numerianus of the Ala I Asturum, who also arranged his funeral ("piantissime": with all devotion) when Victor died at the age of 20. The stone records that Victor was "of the Moorish nation".

The museum also holds an altarpiece to a previously unknown god and a tablet with the name of the Emperor [[Severus Alexander]] (died 235) chiselled off, an example of ''[[damnatio memoriae]]''.

== Reconstruction ==

The West Gate of the fort was reconstructed in 1986 to give an impression of the place. The Reconstruction of the fort has been accomplished using research which was undertaken following excavations, standing where it had originally existed during the Roman occupation of Britain.

A Roman gatehouse, barracks and Commanding Officer's house have been reconstructed on their original foundations.  The gatehouse holds many displays related to the history of the fort, and its upper levels provide an overview of the archaeological site.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-01-22|title=Arbeia Roman Fort development boosted by £150,000|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-38710724|access-date=2020-12-24}}</ref>

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Arbeia Roman fort}}
* [https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/arbeia Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort]
* [https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/ North East Museums (previously Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums)]
* [https://www.roman-britain.co.uk/places/arbeia-roman-fort/ Roman Britain]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Hadrian's Wall forts}}
{{Roman visitor sites in the UK}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2nd-century establishments in Roman Britain]]
[[Category:Roman fortifications in England]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums]]
[[Category:Museums of ancient Rome in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in England]]
[[Category:Archaeological museums in England]]
[[Category:South Shields]]
[[Category:Reconstructions of Roman sites]]