Around 120 AD the Romans constructed the 'Pons Aelius', the first bridge to cross the River Tyne. A wooden fort was then built to protect the river crossing. It was situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the bridge. You can see a 3D reconstruction of the Pons Aelius bridge and Roman fort here. Pons Aelius is last mentioned in AD400, in the Notitia Dignitatum, a Roman document listing all of the Roman military outposts.
At some point during the Anglo-Saxon era, the site of Newcastle became known as Monkchester and a cemetery was established on the site of the Roman fort. In 1080 William I's son Robert Curthose began the building of a 'New Castle' where the Pons Aelius fort once stood. It was this castle that gave Newcastle its name. No trace of the Norman castle remains today. Henry II replaced it with a rectangular stone keep. The Castle Keep and Blackgate can be visited today.
This weekend Hadrian's Wall will be put in the spotlight - quite literally - when approximately 500 beacons will illuminate the 84 mile wall in its entirety. It will surely be a memorable sight (and one to capture on video, in pixels, and in Tweets)! As we're all anxiously awaiting the weekend, let's have a look at how Hadrian's Wall, and the bridge and fort complex nearby called the Pons Aelius, might have looked in 200AD!
The history of Newcastle begins about AD120, when Roman engineers constructed the first bridge across the River Tyne. The bridge was called 'Pons Aelius' - meaning 'Bridge of Aelius' - a reference to Emperor Hadrian's family name.
Statue of Boudicca is in London and it represents many things to different people. Boudica's own name means "victory" What does it mean to you or even have you ever noticed her in London.
How to Play :
Spot where the glorious Statue of Boudicca in London
Or simply take a photo of it with your camera and tweet it to @Heritagekey with #boudicca
Date and Time :
March 9, 2010 till March 22, 2010 midnight
Points to be earned : 10 points
We will select some of the best photos in our website or Facebook fan page .You earn 10 points for your one photo sent via Tweeter or uploaded to our Flickr group . Read more about the blog post here.
“I don’t get to introduce rock stars,” said Art Gallery of Ontario CEO Matthew Teitelbaum.
Well tonight he did.
Forget the critical New Yorker article, the mixed reviews of the new Tut exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, or the fact that local Toronto media largely stayed away from this lecture.
The world’s most well-known Egyptologist completely filled Convocation Hall, with people who had all paid a small admission fee (no more than $18) to hear him speak.
There was a line snaking up Kings College Circle (the street outside the hall) an hour before it even started.
Now, before I get into what Dr. Hawass said, I should say this – I’ve been cursed.
Brigantium, near Rochester, Northumberland in Newcastle, was once the ancient Roman city of Gallaecia, forming part of the kingdom of King Cottius. Thus the area is rich with Roman remains. Brigatium is famous for its coal-mining traditions. The Romans burned and excavated coal in the region and by the 13th century, mines were well-established along the River Tyne. The area also holds a reconstructed Roman fort which shows the remains of an important part of Roman-British life.
The discovery of the London Mithraeum was made during rebuilding works carried out in the City of London in 1954. There was great public interest in the ruins on their discovery, with 80,000 visitors flocking to see the site. Public demand meant the ruins were preserved in a site opposite the street, where they were tilted at 90 degrees to fit in the space so building work could continue.
The site today hangs in the balance with a development of Walbrook Square first being delayed, then cancelled due to the economic recession. The remains of the London Mithraeum were due to be moved back to their original position and showcased inside a new building designed by Sir Norman Foster.
A Mithraeum is a place of worship for the followers of the mystery religion of Mithraism. The Mithraeum was either an adapted natural cave or cavern or an artificial building imitating a cavern. Mithraea were dark and windowless, even if they were not actually located in a cave.
The Carrawburgh Mithraeum lies south-west of the Roman fort at Carrawburgh, Brocolitia. The site of the temple was first discovered in 1949 and was excavated in 1950 by Sir Ian Richmond and Mr J.P.Gillam.
One of Britain's most distinguished photgraphers, Don McCullin, talks about his extraordinary work, including his evocative photographs recording the fringes of the Roman Empire for his latest book, Southern Frontiers: A Journey Across the Roman Empire.
The Ancient Greeks gave us many things which western civilisation is built upon - democracy, cartography, astronomy, mathematics and the fundamentals of classical architecture. And the home of the finest example of classical Greek architecture is at the site of the Acropolis in Athens - the wonder that is the Parthenon.
The Colchester Roman Circus is situated in modern day Colchester, which was once the ancient Roman settlement known as Camulodunum. This prehistoric site is the only known Roman chariot racing track found in the United Kingdom dating back 2000 years ago. In 2005 archaeologists discovered that the remains they were discovering as part of a land evaluation dig was infact this Roman circus.
Recently a campaign was held which raised £200,000 to save this Roman circus in order to preserve this important part of ancient Roman life.
This weekend Hadrian's Wall will be put in the spotlight - quite literally - when approximately 500 beacons will illuminate the 84 mile wall in its entirety. It will surely be a memorable sight (
Question – who can completely fill up a cavernous 1,500 seat domed hall on a Saturday night in Toronto?
The Ancient Greeks gave us many things which western civilisation is built upon - 
