Isca Dumnoniorum

Isca Dumnoniorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Exeter, located in the English county of Devon.

Fortress

Isca was established as a 42 acre 'playing-card' shaped Roman fort on a spur of land overlooking the banks of the River Exe around AD 50. It was the base of the 5,000 strong Second Legion for the next twenty-five years, before they moved to Isca Augusta. It also became home to their families as settlements grew up outside the fortress gates, especially to the north-east. Most of the buildings within the fort, such as barrack blocks and granaries, were timber structures apart from a very large military bath house. The water was supplied by a natural spring via an aqueduct. Entertainment at the complex included a cockpit.

Civilian town

About AD 80, the fort was converted to a civilian settlement and became the civitas capital of the Dumnonii tribe. The military baths were too large for the local population and were largely demolished for, though partially incorporated into, the administrative forum and basilica built on the site. New town baths were built to the south-east In the late 2nd century, the town walls were demolished and a new set erected at some distance, thus increasing the size of the town by two and a half times. There was much domestic occupation within the walls, but there is also evidence of copper and bronze working. A possible stock-yard has also been identified and Isca was clearly a key market centre for livestock and agricultural produce, as well as pottery, produced in the surrounding countryside.

Decline

The forum and basilica were demolished around the middle of the 5th century when a cemetery, probably Christian, was established on the site. It continued in use into the Anglo-Saxon period when the town became known as 'Isca-Castra' or Exeter.

Remains

*Much of the Roman town wall survives as the lower courses or inner core of the medieval city walls, 70% of which remains to be seen around Exeter.
*Finds from the Roman town, particularly the Roman Fortress Baths excavations of 1971-76, may be seen in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.