Isca Augusta
| Isca Augusta | |
|---|---|
| Caerllion (Welsh) | |
| Newport, Wales | |
Caerleon amphitheatre | |
Isca Augusta Location in Newport | |
| Coordinates | 51°36′37″N 2°57′32″W / 51.6103°N 2.9589°W |
| Grid reference | ST336909 |
Isca, sometimes called as Isca Augusta or Isca Silurum, was the location of a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, the remaining parts of which lie beneath parts of the present-day town of Caerleon in the north of the city of Newport in South Wales. The site includes Caerleon Amphitheatre.
It was the headquarters of the Roman Legion "II Augusta", which took part in the invasion of Britain under Emperor Claudius in the year 43, Isca is uniquely important for the study of the invasion, pacification and colonisation of Britannia by the Roman army. It was one of only three legionary fortresses in later Roman Britain that was not temporary and, unlike the other sites at Chester and York, its remains lie relatively undisturbed beneath fields and the town of Caerleon and give a unique opportunity to study the Roman legions in Britain. Diggings continue to find new discoveries;[1] in the late 1900s a bunch of very large monuments outside the fortress between the River Usk and the amphitheatre was uncovered. This new area was previously unknown.