The First Cohort of Baetasii (CIB)

 

The discovery of an 18th Roman stone altar at Maryport in Cumberland, in August 2012, is both important and exciting. As the sixth to record the First Cohort of Bactasii from just outside the Roman fort at Maryport, it records Titus Attius Tutor (now for the fourth time) in addition to Ulpius Titianus (twice) as commanders of the garrison.

 

As is well known, the first cohort was the Unit which built the Roman fort at Reculver, near Herne Bay, about A.D. 200. It must have left its Maryport base before this date so the new altar must date from the late- second century. Most readers of the KAR will be familiar with the otherwise anonymous CIB monogram!

 

Maryport was already famous for its large collection of 17 Roman altars discovered close to the same spot in 1870, by Humphrey Senhouse. Most were in nearly perfect condition. It was always supposed that the altars had been buried as part of an annual religious ceremony by the commander of the fort. However, the current excavation revealed that the newly discovered altar had been reused simply as packing for a large wooden post. This had been one of the posts for a large, otherwise unknown, timber building of late-Roman date. More information on the First Cohort in "The Excavations of the Roman Fort at Reculver, Kent" (2005) p.224.