Maps, Maps, and More Maps

       The land of my Celtic ancestors underwent many, many changes after the invasion of those Roman folks. Beginning after the first 100 years of Roman conquest, the dust started to settle, giving 300 years of changes made to the surface anatomy of the land that my ancestors had occupied 500 years before. The book by Barri Jones and David Mattingly named An Atlas Of Roman Britain, gives all the maps that one could image showing the political and military story of these changes. Economic activity such as mining and pottery, in the context of life in the towns and country, are depicted. The Celts would face many new adventures. The cover of my copy is shown as follows:

      The illustration on the cover is a medieval copy of a Roman map of Britain. It is taken from the Notitia Dignitatum contained in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England.

       To find a single map that summarizes most of the changes that occurred during the time of Roman occupation has been difficult to discover. However, the following map depicts many of the changes giving a "big picture". It comes from the book discussed last post by Peter Blair, p, 59.  Let's take a look.

    First, locate the two Celtic tribes that my Y-DNA seems to have its origin. The Deceangli on the highlands of the west side of the land bridge, and the Cornovii on the eastern side.  The dark square blocks represent the locations of the Roman forts that help occupy, control, and administrate the Roman world as it developed. Deva (Chester) was the fort that my Deceangli would have to interact, and Worxeter was the military base that the Cornovii would have to give their attention. Salt and iron production centered on Deva, and wheat and wool would focus around Worxeter. The Roman roads connected the two forts giving control of the waterways to the sea. [The Dee to the north, and the Severn to the south.] Old Oswestry is just about in the middle of things. This location served as the community center of my Celtic ancestors the 500 years before these Roman changes came into existence. This map helps understand the stage that was built during the 300 years that my Celtic ancestors had to dance.

Jones B., Mattingly D.: An Atlas Of Roman Britain, Oxbow Books, Park End Place, Oxford, 2002. [First published by Blackwell Publishers, 1990]

Blair, P.H.: Roman Britain and Early England, W.W. Norton & Company, N.Y., 1963.