Should Roman link be put on the town road signs?
HISTORIAN THINKS EVIDENCE OF SETTLEMENT COULD HAVE A CONNECTION TO BASS TRIANGLE
A HISTORIAN is hoping to honour Burton’s links to its Roman ancestors which he believes has a fascinating connection to the town’s brewing heritage.
David Adkins is continuing on his mission to piece together and promote Burton’s history after revealing the town was once in the vicinity of the Roman site of Ad Trivonam, dating back more than 2,000 years.
The Roman name of the town, which includes “Tri” meaning three, he believes could have played a part in the creation of the famous red triangle logo used by one of Burton’s best known breweries, Bass.
The red triangle is also known for being the world’s first registered trademark.
As part of a growing project to promote Burton’s history, Mr Adkins said: “I would like to ask Burton people if they know that the vicinity of the town was once the Roman site of Ad Trivonam?
“I want to know whether they would like to see the addition of this on a name plate beneath the Burton-on-Trent road signs on the main gateways into the town?
“It would read, ‘Burton on Trent’ with the words, ‘Roman Town of Ad Trivonam’ beneath.
“The ‘Tri’ of the word ‘Trivonam’ refers to three, in some way, whether three rivers, three roads or a combination of these is unsure.
“As such the famous red triangle of Bass with the famous Bass signature beneath would be appropriate additions at each end of the sign.”
Mr Adkins’ project has also seen him track down two ancient skulls found in Burton many years ago, but then lost again. His painstaking detective work meant he found the lost skulls of “Greta” and “Mabus”, one gather
Historian David Adkins ing dust in a Staffordshire museum’s archives. Mr Adkins, whose father used to run the now closed, but popular, Burton Museum, discovered “Greta” hidden in the archive’s of Stoke’s Potteries Museum.
He is aiming to have the 10,000-year-old skull re-examined using modern technology, such as a DNA profiling and dental tests. She was found on what was the former Trent floodplain at what is now Branston Water Park.
He also believes he has found the skull known as “Mabus” who could be around 5,000 years old and either from the Bronze or Iron age.
Mabus was originally unearthed in Stretton Gravel Pits in 1952 and put on display at old Burton Museum until the venue’s closure more than 30 years ago.
At the moment, he is turning his attentions to Burton’s links with the Romans.
He said: “As you know, Project Greta and Project Mabus will see the faces of the town’s earliest ancestors – the Adam and Eve of Burton revealed for the very first time.
“One skull was found at Branston and the other at Stretton.
“There is another interesting coincidence here in that Branston and Stretton have both been identified by earlier historians as being the site of the lost Roman town of Ad Trivonam.
“Very little was ever documented about Ad Trivonam and little evidence has ever been found. Stretton, Branston and even Burton itself have all been considered the most likely places largely based on their distance from other better known Roman settlements.
“It isn’t even clear what the name actually means with much conjecture as to whether it means a place where three roads or three rivers meet.
“The ‘Tri’ preface however is interesting as it highlights an ancient link Burton has with the number three – evident in the geometric symbol of the triangle.
“First, of course, we have Ad Trivonam in Roman times – although this reference could have been drawn from something even more ancient as a descriptive term for three rivers , streams or roads .
“Secondly we have the famous Bass triangle trademark, the fame of which spread to every corner of the world.
“In essence I don’t think it really matters whether Ad Trivonam was situated at Stretton, Branston or even Burton, the important thing is that it did exist within the confines and boundaries of our modern town.”
Now, Mr Adkins is asking for opinions on whether people think road signs at the gateways to Burton should have the something about the town’s Roman past added.
He wants people’s views on whether the line “Roman Town of Ad Trivonam” beneath the white name plate signs of “Burton-onTrent” should added so it is visible as people enter Burton from any direction.
He says given the link of “Tri” with the famous Bass triangle, signs could even include the red triangle with the Bass signature underneath either side of the sign.
He added: “I think that the fact historians passionately debate its exact location reveals that they all agree it indeed existed and was clearly somewhere here. The bottom line is that it was still here in Burton on Trent.”
The Roman invasion of Britain first started in 55 BC with Julius Caesar. However, the conquest was a gradual process, when overall rule began in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius and being largely completed by AD 87.
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