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Romans paving the way for future homes
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What's in a name? |
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Pre Celtic
Unfortunately, topology, or the study of place-names, sheds little light on this period of Wear's history, which is much better illuminated by archaeologists. Without the luxury of either written evidence or inherited language, it is difficult to know whether any of the names used by peoples of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages still survive. In fact the only evidence we have for their existence in Wear is found at Copt Hill, a "barrow" or "burial mound" on the south-eastern edge of Houghton-le-Spring.
Following the excavation of the barrow in 1877 by Canon William Greenwell and Mr T Robinson, it was revealed that the primary burial was a Neolithic cremation, thought to be an example of an axial mortuary structure. There were also several Bronze Age cremations and inhumations found, and an early medieval inhumation.
Celtic
A Celtic past for The River Wear |
The most obvious surviving place-name of the Celtic age in this area is that which gives the region its name: Wear. Wear is thought to have meant river, or water, in the Celtic language, and is still used today to name the River Wear. The language spoken by the Celts is known as Old British, and its partial survival was largely due to its continued usage in areas that were not colonised by the Angles and Saxons.
Old British survived particularly strongly in Wales, where names containing the word "Pen" - the Welsh for hilltop - feature frequently. In Wear there are two good examples of Celtic place-names: Penshaw, which probably means "at the rock top", and Pennywell, which is thought to mean "wellspring at the top of the hill".
Roman
In Saxon times Chester le Street was known as Concaster or Cunecaster |
The Romans arrived in Britain in 43AD, and were the dominant race in the isle for nearly 500 years. There is obvious evidence of the Roman presence in Britain in the form of Hadrian's Wall, which they built to protect themselves against the Picts in Scotland.
Place-names ending with "chester", adopted from the Latin word castra, meaning "fort", always indicate a Roman presence, however none of these exist in Wearside, nor are there any ruined Roman structures in the region. But even despite this lack of evidence, one impassioned and voluble group of local archaeologists insist that the Romans did in fact penetrate Wearside. But if this is the case, where are Wear's Roman place-names?
Words: Ian Robinson
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