Isca Dumnoniorum - Civilian Town

Civilian Town

Next to these, but more to the west, are the Dumnoni, whose towns are:
Voliba 14°45 52°00
Uxella 15°00 52°45
Tamara 15°00 52°15
Isca, where is located Legio II Augusta 17°30 52°45.

Isca Dumnoniorum originated with the settlement (a canabae) that developed around the Roman fortress. It is one of the four poleis (cities) attributed to the Dumnonii by Ptolemy in his Geography of the 2nd century, and is also named in the late-second century Antonine Itinerary where it appears as the southern terminus of Iter XV, on the Fosse Way. It also appears in the Ravenna Cosmography of the 7th century as the confused scribal entry of Scadu Namorum.

The fortress was given up around AD 75; shortly afterwards work started to convert it to the civilian settlement which became the civitas capital of the Dumnonii tribe, known to the British as Caer Uisc. The military baths were too large for the local population and were largely demolished, 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.