Cornovi
The Cornovii (meaning people of the horn), were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands, previous to the Roman invasion of Britain. The tribe lived in the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. Their capital became an important Roman settlement called Viroconium Cornoviorum and is known today as Wroxeter.
The Cornovi were a warlike tribe and they occupied numerous hillforts, namely Titterstone Clee excavated in Bitterly. One of these hillforts is probably mentioned by the historian Tacitus as the last refuge of the resistance lead by Caratacus in 50 AD. The Cornovi issued no coinage previous to Roman influence and have no distinctive metallurgy or pottery, being therefore difficult to track. This means that probably they were not a wealthy tribe, living mostly on pastoral economy, with small crops concentrated in the valleys. After Roman occupation, the lands of the Cornovi became a centre of military and economic operations. Viroconium Cornoviorum became one of the most important cities in Roman Britain, where Legio XIV Gemina was garrisoned for some time. The Romans also explored metals such as copper, lead and silver in the area.
See also: List of Celtic tribes
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